There are many causes of vaginal bleeding, such as an infection, the menopause, vaginal injuries, and changes in hormone levels.
Some of the most common causes are detailed below.
Vaginal bleeding between your periods is not unusual, but should be checked by your GP if it happens more than once or twice.
There are several things that could cause bleeding between periods, such as changes to your hormonal levels, use of hormonal contraception or contraceptive devices, an infection, or an injury, for example.
Some women experience bleeding about 10-14 days after their period. This is usually caused by a temporary drop in levels of the hormone oestrogen at the time of ovulation (when an egg is released by an ovary). This is quite normal.
As well as reduced oestrogen levels, you may also experience other hormonal imbalances, which are completely harmless. This could be as a result of stress, or a recent change of diet. Your GP will be able to diagnose this by taking a blood sample, and advising you about possible treatments.
If you have recently started taking hormonal contraceptives it is not uncommon to experience bleeding between periods due to the drop in hormone levels. This will usually happen around two weeks after your last period, and is often referred to as breakthrough bleeding. Your periods will usually become more regular within six months, and the bleeding between your periods should stop after a month or two.
However, if bleeding occurs at other points during your menstrual cycle, you should consult your GP, or practice nurse, in order to rule out the possibility of other conditions.
If you have had an IUD (copper coil), you may have some slight bleeding between your first two or three periods after you have it fitted. Many women have heavier, longer and more painful periods. This may improve over time. If you have prolonged bleeding it may be possible for your GP to give you additional medicine that can help control the bleeding. They may also check the bleeding is not due to other causes such as infection.
Vaginal bleeding may occur during certain fertility procedures, for example during the egg collection stage of IVF treatment.
Usually it is mild to moderate bleeding with some cramping. However, if you experience heavy bleeding, you should contact your fertility clinic or call NHS Direct on 0845 4647.
Women who are having fertility treatment due to endometriosis can also experience heavy bleeding. However, this is usually because the common symptoms of endometriosis include heavy and often painful periods, and not due to fertility treatments.
There can be several causes for vaginal bleeding after the menopause (for example, thrush, or other infections), most of which will be nothing to worry about. However, it can also be a sign something more serious, so you will need to see your GP to rule this out.
You may also want to check with your GP to see if your cervical smear tests are up to date.
You may think you have finished the menopause if you have not had a period for a few months. However, it is still possible to have a period up to a year after your last one. It’s important your visit your GP to discuss your bleeding.
Bleeding after sex may be caused by several things, such as:
If you have any vaginal bleeding after sex you should visit your GP or family planning clinic (find your nearest GP or family planning clinic).
If you have a vaginal infection, you will most likely experience unusual discharge before any bleeding happens. Unusual discharge is often a sign of infection, such as thrush or vaginosis for example. The signs of an abnormal vaginal discharge are:
You may notice genital sores or ulcers as well, or you might start having pain in your abdomen or pain during sex.
If you are experiencing any discharge like this, you should visit your GP. Don’t be embarrassed, infections are very common and doctors are professional people who have seen much worse before.
If you have had unprotected sex with someone who may have a sexually transmitted infection (STI) you should make an appointment at a sexual health (GUM) clinic.
If you have been bleeding after an infection, you should see your GP who may be able to prescribe you some medicine and rule out any further infections or disorders.
If you think you have a vaginal injury, you should follow these steps:
If you are bleeding, you may want to use a sanitary towel. You should not use a tampon if you have a vaginal injury or a foreign body is in place.
Make sure you change your sanitary towel or tampon at regular intervals. The recommended time frame is every 4-5 hours for a sanitary towel, and every 4-8 hours for a tampon.
If you are changing your towel every 1-2 hours due to heavy blood loss, you should visit your GP for advice.
You should never leave a tampon in for longer than 8 hours. You could try using a higher absorbency tampon and consider using sanitary towels as well.
What causes bleeding between periods? (NHS Choices)
Post menopausal bleeding (Patient UK)
Embarrassing problems
Women’s health
What should I do if I think I've got an STI? (NHS Choices)
Local services search (NHS Choices)
