Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSpotting or Period?What Causes Spotting?When to See a Healthcare Provider
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Spotting or Period?
What Causes Spotting?
When to See a Healthcare Provider
Spotting is light vaginal bleeding that can occur outside of your regular menstrual period. It’s typically different from the bleeding during your period, which tends to be heavier and more consistent.
Spotting is often harmless but can also be an indication of a problem like a sexually transmitted infection (STI) oruterine fibroids(growths in theuterus).
This article will discuss the symptoms of spotting and menstrual periods and the causes of spotting.
Verywell / Jessica Olah
How Do You Know If It’s Spotting or Your Period?
Although spotting and periods both appear as bleeding from the vagina, there are some key differences:
Why Am I Spotting Before My Period?
Symptoms of Normal Periods
The regular shedding of thelining of the uterusis referred to asmenstruation. It may also be called a menstrual period, menstrual cycle, or menses. During this time, blood flows from thevagina.
In people with a uterus and ovaries, it usually occurs monthly from puberty untilmenopause(marking the end of menstruation, when periods have stopped for 12 straight months). Menstruation normally stops during pregnancy.
Characteristics of menstrual bleeding include:
Other Symptoms While MenstruatingLeading up to and after starting a period, other symptoms may occur like:Cramping in the lower abdomenCramping in the lower backMoodinessCravingsDifficulty with sleepBloatingTender breastsAcne
Other Symptoms While Menstruating
Leading up to and after starting a period, other symptoms may occur like:Cramping in the lower abdomenCramping in the lower backMoodinessCravingsDifficulty with sleepBloatingTender breastsAcne
Leading up to and after starting a period, other symptoms may occur like:
Symptoms of Spotting
Any bleeding or spotting that occurs outside the usual time of menstruation is consideredabnormal uterine or vaginal bleeding. But this doesn’t always mean it is something to worry about.
Spotting is light bleeding that comes from the vagina. It may appear as a few spots of blood on your underwear. This will not require the use of sanitary protection like a pad, panty liner, or tampon.
Typical traits associated with spotting include:
Vaginal Bleeding: What Causes Symptoms Outside Menstruation?
Pregnancy and Implantation Bleeding
During the first trimester (first 12 weeks of pregnancy), 15–25 out of every 100 pregnancies will experience bleeding.
One to two weeks after a fertilized egg implants into the lining of the uterus, some spotting or light bleeding may occur. This is known asimplantation bleeding. The spotting may bebrownish, pink, or red and is not heavy.
During pregnancy, it is also possible to experience spotting or light bleeding following sexual intercourse, aPap test(a swab of the cervix to check for abnormal cells), or apelvic exam(internal and external examination of the organs in the pelvis).
Ectopic Pregnancy
Anectopic pregnancyhappens when a fertilized egg grows outside the uterus, most commonly in thefallopian tube. This is a nonviable pregnancy that must be treated to prevent potentially severe (even fatal) complications.
An ectopic pregnancy may cause pregnancy symptoms like a missed period or tender breasts. It may also cause:
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
Polycystic ovary syndromeis a hormonal disorder that can cause irregular menstrual periods and problems with fertility. People with PCOS may experience abnormal vaginal bleeding like spotting due to a lack of ovulation.
Hormonal Birth Control Methods
Birth control pills and other forms ofhormonal contraceptioncan cause side effects. Among these side effects is spotting, also referred to asbreakthrough bleeding. This most commonly happens in the first few months of starting a new form of hormonal birth control. Spotting may stop after this time.
Uterine Fibroids or Polyps
Uterine fibroidsare growths of the uterus. They are not cancerous and may not cause symptoms.
If symptoms do occur, they may include:
Uterine polypsare growths in the lining of the uterus that are usually noncancerous (although they can also be precancerous or cancerous). They may also cause spotting.
Ovulation Bleeding
Spotting can occur at any time during the menstrual cycle.Ovulationmarks the middle of the cycle when the ovary releases an egg. During ovulation,some light spotting may occur. This is not a cause for concern.
Breastfeeding
People who exclusively breastfeed a child may not have a period for months or even a year after childbirth. If a person partially breastfeeds, their periods may return as soon as three weeks following birth.
When breastfeeding time is reduced and periods begin to return, this may start as light spotting.
Injuries
Injuries in the genital area can cause spotting.Injuries or trauma to the genital area include:
Straddle injuries can also cause spotting. These injuries occur when a person falls onto an object, like a fence, bike, or playground equipment, and strikes the object with their groin area.
Miscarriage
The most common indication of amiscarriage(loss of a pregnancy in the first 20 weeks of gestation) is bleeding from the vagina. Bleeding can range from a brown discharge and light spotting to heavy bleeding and clots. This can come and go.
Perimenopause
Perimenopausecan occur from ages 45 to 55. During this time, the ovaries become smaller and make less estrogen. It is normal to have spotting during this time.
Cancer
Roughly 90% of people who haveendometrial cancer(cancer of the uterine lining) have some form of abnormal vaginal bleeding.
Signs of endometrial cancer include:
STIs
Not all STIs have symptoms, but STIs likechlamydiacan cause bleeding between periods.
Other symptoms that may accompany spotting with STIs include:
When experiencing spotting (along with any other symptoms), track and record when and in what pattern it is occurring and share this information with your healthcare provider.
See your healthcare provider if spotting persists, gets worse, or happens repeatedly.
Contact your healthcare provider right away if:
Summary
Spotting is light bleeding that may appear as spots of blood in the underwear. Unlike menstrual bleeding, it typically does not require the use of a pad or tampon. Spotting can have many causes, including ovulation, early pregnancy, infections, or injuries to the genital area. If you are concerned about spotting, speak with your healthcare provider.
17 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
University of Michigan Health.Abnormal vaginal bleeding.
Office on Women’s Health.Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) - What are the symptoms of PMS?
MedlinePlus.Vaginal bleeding in pregnancy.
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.Bleeding during pregnancy.
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.Ectopic pregnancy.
UCLA Health.Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).
Planned Parenthood.What are the side effects of the birth control pill?
Von Voigtlander Women’s Hospital.Uterine fibroids & abnormal bleeding.
Columbia University Urving Medical Center.Uterine polyps.
Health Direct.Periods while breastfeeding.
Health Direct.Vaginal bleeding.
Seattle Children’s.Genital injury - female.
National Health Service.Symptoms - miscarriage.
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.Perimenopausal bleeding and bleeding after menopause.
American Cancer Society.Signs and symptoms of endometrial cancer.
Mount Sinai.Vaginal bleeding between periods.
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