Spotting for multiple days then stopped?

[Caleb]

Hello. So, my partner has been experiencing brown spotting. It’s super light and it has been going on for about 2-4 days. However, her period isn’t arriving and the spotting has stopped.

I don’t think what i did could pose a risk..in the bathtub i ejaculated during masturbation then i cleaned it up with soap and water. However, she used it soon after. I’m worried possibly some remnants could’ve gotten stuck. To be honest I don’t know what else could cause it. I’m tbh very stressed and scared because of past scares few months ago and I don’t want to go through that again.

Could you possibly explain why this is happening?

[KierC]

Hi Caleb, and welcome to the boards!

I’m sorry to hear you’re stressed about this! The situation you’re describing does not pose a risk to pregnancy. Sperm cells cannot survive in water that is hotter or colder than your body, so the sperm cells really wouldn’t survive long in the bathtub. They would be diluted too, and washed down the drain, leaving virtually nothing left in the tub. Her using the tub after all that happened does not pose a risk to pregnancy. You can read more about it here, too, if you’d like to learn about what sperm cells can and cannot survive in:

Who’s Afraid of Sperm Cells?
Human Reproduction: A Seafarer’s Guide

Spotting in between periods is common and can happen before your period starts; so while we cannot say for sure why she is spotting, from the situation you described you can assume that this is not pregnancy-related.

[Caleb]

Does this help? She takes no BC and her cycles are irregular.

[KierC]

There’s still no risk of pregnancy, but her cycles being irregular does help explain the spotting she’s experiencing. Spotting can occur at multiple points between periods, including ovulation, and may happen more with irregular cycles. How are you feeling about all this now?

I want to say, too, if your girlfriend is concerned herself, too, she is welcome to post on the boards and we’d be happy to talk with her directly.

[Caleb]

I tried to take a few days away from this site, as I have serious reassurance seeking issues, but I still feel very scared and stressed. No period yet. Still on and off spotting. My partner doesn’t want to talk here at the boards, she’s really sensitive to talk abt this subject. Is it possible she just skipped? I’m lowkey kind of freaking out.

[KierC]

Hey there Caleb,

I’m sorry to hear that you’re feeling scared and stressed. It is certainly possible she skipped, or that it’s more late than usual. But I understand that you’re struggling with reassurance-seeking, too. I do think reassurance here may continue this cycle of anxiety; in times like this, though, it can sometimes be helpful to identify if there are any deeper feelings that arise when you get anxious about this. It can also be helpful to create a self-care routine when you’re feeling particularly overwhelmed — do you have things you like to do to reassure yourself or calm yourself a bit?

Also: Another way you may be able to settle some of this specific anxiety is to get a pregnancy test, just so you can see the negative result staring back at you. Is that something you’d like to do?