I am spotting after my period: what should I know?

Brown or light bleeding just after menstruation may be older blood leaving the vagina. Spotting can also follow starting or missing hormonal contraception, sex, or changes in ovulation. Chlamydia and cervical cell changes may cause bleeding, while endometrial polyps or fibroids can affect the womb lining. Cervical cancer and womb cancer are less common causes, but ongoing or unusual bleeding needs proper assessment.

The timing matters: note when your period ended, how long spotting lasted, whether it followed sex, and whether you had pain, discharge, fever, or a chance of pregnancy. This helps distinguish a one-off cycle change from a pattern needing investigation.

Use a diary or phone note to record colour, amount, duration, pain, sex, contraception, and medicines. Arrange a routine appointment if spotting returns, continues, occurs after sex, or is accompanied by unusual discharge. Your clinician may recommend a pregnancy test, infection testing, examination, cervical screening review, blood tests, or an ultrasound.

Avoid douching, which can irritate the vagina and make symptoms harder to interpret. Continue prescribed contraception as directed unless a clinician tells you otherwise.

Get urgent help if bleeding becomes heavy, you feel faint, or you have severe pelvic pain, fever, or shoulder-tip pain. If pregnancy is possible, spotting with one-sided pain, dizziness, or increasing bleeding needs prompt assessment.

Could this be related to my cycle or contraception? Do I need testing for infection, pregnancy, cervical changes, or a womb condition? What symptoms should prompt urgent care?