You’ve just finished having sex with your partner, when you look down and see blood on the sheets. You don’t have your period and aren’t supposed to get it anytime
soon, so what gives? While vaginal bleeding after sex can be scary, it’s also fairly common. It affects up to 9% of menstruating women. There’s probably no cause for concern. But it can also result from an infection. In rare cases, it's a sign of cervical
cancer. The most common causes for vaginal bleeding after sex both start in the cervix, which is the narrow, tube-like end of your uterus that opens into the vagina. One of those causes is cervical
inflammation, or cervicitis. It can be ongoing and totally harmless, or it can happen because of a sexually transmitted infection that you need to get treated, like chlamydia
or gonorrhea. Both types of cervical inflammation can cause bleeding after sex. A second common reason for bleeding after sex are cervical polyps. These growths are usually small -- about 1 to 2 centimeters. They often appear on your cervix where it connects to the vagina. Most aren’t cancerous. Your doctor can remove them during an appointment. Other
causes of vaginal bleeding after sex include: Dryness caused by these things can also lead to
vaginal bleeding: While many of these causes don’t need treatment and are harmless, sometimes vaginal bleeding after sex can be a sign of a more serious problem.Why Am I Bleeding After Sex?
Causes of Bleeding After Sex
You may have a higher chance of bleeding
after sex if you: If you have some minor bleeding every once in a while, chances are everything is fine. But the only way to know for sure is to see your doctor for a
physical exam. If the bleeding happens right before you get your period or within a few days after it ends and it doesn’t happen again, you can hold off on making that appointment. You can also probably hold off if you recently had a pelvic exam and
Pap smear and got a clean bill of health. In all other cases -- or if you’re just worried -- it’s best to get checked out to rule out infection or anything more serious. If you’re postmenopausal, any bleeding after sex isn’t normal. See your doctor to rule out
cervical cancer, endometrial cancer, and other issues. Vaginal bleeding after sex can be scary if you’re
pregnant, but it probably isn’t a cause for concern. Your cervix may bleed more easily during pregnancy because extra blood vessels are developing in the area.Risk Factors for Bleeding After Sex
Is Bleeding After Sex Serious?
Bleeding After Sex and Menopause
Bleeding After Sex and Pregnancy
Bleeding After Sex Diagnosis
Your doctor’s first step will probably be to ask you some questions to see if there’s an obvious cause for the bleeding, like breakthrough bleeding after you just start to take a birth control pill.
They’ll also want to know if you’re having pain during sex, which can be a sign of dryness or infection, depending on when it happens.
The doctor will give you a pelvic exam and look for any source of the bleeding, like vaginal tears or lesions, signs of pelvic organ prolapse, cervical polyps, or inflammation. If you have polyps, they might be able to remove them in the office and send them to a lab for testing. Or you might need a later appointment to have them surgically removed. You could also get a:
- Pregnancy test
- Cervix exam with a tool called a speculum
- Colposcopy
- Transvaginal ultrasound
- Pap test
- Test for a sexually transmitted disease or sexually transmitted infection
During a Pap test, the doctor can swab your cervix to test for sexually transmitted infections like chlamydia and gonorrhea, which can cause bleeding after sex and are treated with antibiotics. The Pap test also detects any sign of abnormal, precancerous growths or cancer cells.
If the Pap test reveals any problems with your cervix at the time of your exam, you’ll probably get a colposcopy. It starts out like a Pap test but takes a bit longer. The doctor will use a special magnifying device called a colposcope to get a closer look at the cervix. If they see anything suspicious, they can take a small sample of tissue for testing. If bleeding after sex is an ongoing thing, the doctor
may recommend a colposcopy even if your Pap test results are normal, to get a better look at your cervix.Abnormal Results
If you’re postmenopausal, the doctor might do a transvaginal ultrasound to get a closer look at your pelvic organs. They might also do an endometrial biopsy to check for abnormal cells in the endometrial tissue that lines your uterus.
Treatment for Bleeding After Sex
Since there’s no one cause of bleeding after sex, there’s no single treatment. Some options include:
- Vaginal lubricants and moisturizers
- Medication for sexually transmitted infections
- Estrogen therapy
- Cervical cancer treatment (surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation)
- Polyp removal
Can Bleeding After Sex Stop on Its Own?
It might. A recent study found that just over half of women who had bleeding after sex reported that it cleared up on its own within 2 years.
Preventing Bleeding After Sex
You can make some lifestyle changes to lower your risk of bleeding after sex:
- Use a lubricant before and during sex
- Wait a bit longer after your period ends to start having sex again.
- Have your doctor remove any cervical polyps or treat cervical infections.
- Have more foreplay before penetration
- Try less aggressive sex