Slight bleeding after sex during pregnancy

Pregnancy increases blood flow to the cervix, so contact during sex can cause light spotting. Bleeding can also have other causes, and its colour or amount alone cannot identify the cause.

Pink or brown spotting may be old blood, while fresh red blood needs prompt discussion with your maternity team. Bleeding may arise from the cervix, the vagina, an infection, or a pregnancy-related problem. Sex does not cause every type of pregnancy bleeding.

An infection such as Chlamydia can irritate the cervix and cause bleeding after sex. Cervical changes, including Cervical Dysplasia or Cervical Cancer, are less common possibilities that a clinician may assess when bleeding recurs or has no clear explanation.

Contact your maternity clinician or pregnancy assessment service and tell them when the bleeding started, its colour, how much you noticed, and whether it followed sex. Use a pad rather than a tampon so you can observe the amount. Until you receive advice, avoid sex if it brings on more bleeding or discomfort.

Mention pelvic pain, cramps, dizziness, fever, unusual discharge, or pain when passing urine. Keep your pregnancy records available and follow the assessment plan you are given. Do not self-diagnose from an online symptom list.

Seek urgent maternity care for heavy or increasing bleeding, severe or one-sided abdominal pain, shoulder pain, fainting, marked dizziness, fever, or feeling very unwell. Later in pregnancy, contact your maternity unit urgently if bleeding comes with contractions, fluid leakage, or reduced fetal movement.

If you cannot reach your maternity team, use local emergency services. Do not wait for a routine appointment when symptoms are severe, rapidly worsening, or accompanied by collapse.

Ask whether you need an examination, infection testing, or an ultrasound based on your stage of pregnancy and symptoms. You can also ask whether sex should be paused, which warning signs matter most for you, and when to contact the maternity unit again.