What should you know about brown and red spotting after your period?

Brown blood often represents older blood leaving the uterus slowly; red blood is usually fresher. Spotting can occur around ovulation, after starting or missing hormonal contraception, or with irritation of the cervix after sex. Pregnancy can also change bleeding patterns, so take a pregnancy test if pregnancy is possible.

Bleeding Between Periods can sometimes be linked with infection such as [Chlamydia](/conditions/chlamydia/), cervical changes such as [Cervical Dysplasia](/conditions/cervical-dysplasia/), or growths including [Endometrial Polyps](/conditions/endometrial-polyps/) and [Uterine Fibroids](/conditions/uterine-fibroids/). These possibilities do not mean that spotting is cancer; a clinician uses your history and examination to decide what needs checking.

Record when the spotting begins, how long it lasts, its colour, flow and any relation to sex, contraception or missed periods. Arrange a routine appointment if it keeps returning, occurs after sex, begins after menopause, or comes with pelvic pain, unusual discharge or bleeding between otherwise regular periods.

A clinician may offer a pregnancy test, infection testing, cervical screening review or pelvic examination. Do not douche, and avoid inserting products that irritate the vagina while bleeding continues.

Get urgent help if bleeding is heavy or rapidly increasing, or if you feel faint, weak, short of breath or have severe pelvic pain. During a possible pregnancy, bleeding with one-sided pain, shoulder-tip pain, dizziness or collapse needs emergency assessment.

Ask what the timing suggests, whether you need pregnancy or infection testing, whether your contraception could be contributing, and which examination or scan would clarify persistent spotting.