Scarleteen

I'm 24 and recently had a one night stand with a guy who is about the same age. It was the first time for both of us (although I have done other sexual things this was my first time having penetrative sex). Overall it was a good time and he was really sweet but.....

although we went relatively slowly and used a lot of lube I somehow ended up bleeding... a lot. It didn't really hurt or anything but I probably ruined his sheets with the sheer amount of blood. He dealt with it pretty well but I was super embarrassed.

I've had pap smears and other such exams this year that showed nothing unusual. Maybe we just didn't prepare enough. But now I'm a little worried that it could happen next time too. I would really like to have sex again soon-ish but I'm so concerned about bleeding that much again. What are the odds that this was a one time thing?

Title should actually be "Bleeding During First Time"...

Hi Fadedmoon,

We can't say for certain what caused the bleeding, but there are a few likely possibilities. One is that, even though you used a lot of lube, even more lube was needed to make your body comfortable. Another is that you may have been tense or not all the way aroused when vaginal sex started (even when someone is excited about being sexual, if you're trying something for the first time you can tense up without even meaning to). The next time you have vaginal sex, making sure there's even more lube than there was the last time and taking time to make sure you're relaxed and aroused should greatly decrease the chances of bleeding.

If you find that no matter how much lube you use, how aroused you are, and how careful your partner is you're still bleeding after vaginal sex, then it would be time to have another check in with a healthcare provider to make sure everything is still okay.