Spotting on Birth Control

[Juliet]

Hi!
First of all, I’m sorry that my English is not perfect, I’m from Germany. However, I like spending time on this website, I really appreciate how you try to help people out there, and now I need some help too.

I’m using the “Yaz” pill as a form of birth control since February 2019, and everything was great so far.
Until last Saturday morning I noticed a light spotting, which confused me because it was way too early for me to get my period (I start taking the inactive pills without hormones in 2 days).
The spotting is still there today, so I have been having it for 6 days now, and it does not seem to stop. The blood is dark and brown most of the time.

And here’s the thing: 5 days before the spotting started I took an antibiotic (Amoxicillin). However, I took only one Amoxicillin pill, then stopped the treatment. I also took 2 different types of painkillers at that time (I had a tooth problem).

So, do you think that all this medications I’ve been taking last week caused the spotting?

After taking Amoxicillin I’ve been using condoms of course, so I really hope that the spotting I’m currently experiencing is not an early sign of pregnancy.

[Sam W]

Hi Juliet,

Thank you so much for your kind words! We can't say for certain what's causing the spotting, but possible explanations are that it's a side effect of your birth control pill, rather than a side effect of the antibiotic, or your withdrawal bleed (the "period" you get while on the pill) is coming early.

Too, if you're sexually active, are you and your partner up to date on your STI tests?

[Juliet]

Thank you so much for your reply, Sam!

Actually, no, my boyfriend and I never had an STI test. I wanted to have one, since he’s the first person I’m having sexual intercourse with, but after some research I’ve found out that it’s not that easy to get a test done here in Germany.
An STI test can only be done for free if the patient has symptoms that might be caused by an STI. If there are no symptoms, but a patient still wants an STI test he has to pay it himself. Which is something my boyfriend and I cannot afford.
There are indeed some organisations which offer STI tests for free, but none of them is here in my area.
I know it’s irresponsible and I really wish we could test for STIs, but, like I said, it’s not really easy.

[Siân]

Oh wow, I find it super surprising that you can't get tested in Germany for free! That's awful.

I still think that it is a good idea to try and work towards getting STI tests - perhaps if you are visiting another city where it is free you could schedule it in, or see if there are any low-cost or sliding-scale options in your area? We always recommend using condoms until you have both been tested negative for STIs.