Gynaecology
Bleeding After Sex or Between Periods: Arrange an Assessment
Bleeding after sex or between periods should be checked, even if the amount is small. There are several possible causes, and the pattern helps guide assessment.
Bleeding after sex or between periods should be checked, even if the amount is small. There are several possible causes, and the pattern helps guide assessment.
Bring the relevant details
Record when bleeding happens, whether it is linked to sex, contraception changes or your cycle, and whether there is pain or discharge. Mention any possibility of pregnancy and your cervical-screening history.
Causes can include hormonal contraception, cervical changes, polyps or infections. Occasionally bleeding can signal a more serious condition, which is why it should not simply be ignored.
Know when the assessment is urgent
A missed period with unusual bleeding and abdominal or pelvic pain needs urgent medical advice because ectopic pregnancy is one possible cause. Severe pain, heavy bleeding or fainting requires emergency care.
Bleeding after menopause should also be assessed promptly, rather than assumed to be another period.
Understand the investigation plan
The clinician may recommend pregnancy or infection tests, an examination or further investigations depending on your history. A cervical-screening test is not a substitute for evaluating current symptoms.
Ask what has been found, whether any result is still pending and when to return if bleeding continues. If an initial assessment is reassuring but the symptom recurs, seek review. Keeping the timeline and reports together makes follow-up more useful than starting each visit with only the description that bleeding happens “sometimes”.
Further reading and care
For an individual assessment with Dr. Aishwarya Parulekar Pai, contact the clinic and confirm the appointment location before travelling.