Scarleteen

Hi,

So Saturday night I lost my virginity with my boyfriend and we were safe using a condom and i am on the combined pill as well. I noticed after the event there was blood on the sheets which I assume is because my hymen was broken. Is this correct? Sunday morning I noticed there was a bit of bright red blood spotting into my knickers but that soon stopped. However it’s monday morning now and my vaginal discharge is a bit darker than normal, almost a bit bloody. Is this common?

Hi Spiderman23,

So, the hymen that most people grew up hearing about is not actually a thing that exists. Instead, there is something called the Vaginal Corona which is flexible and not something that can be "broken." The Corona can be torn or scratched, particularly if there is not sufficient lube being used or if you're feeling very tense/not very aroused, so that may be the cause of the bleeding. If you find that the bleeding continues or gets heavier and it is not your period, that would be a sign you need to check in with a healthcare provider. You can learn more about Corona here: My Corona: The Anatomy Formerly Known as the Hymen & the Myths That Surround It .

The fact that the hymen is not the thing so many people think it is happens to be one of the reasons that we can't think of virginity as a physical state. Instead, virginity is a concept that each person gets to define for themselves. You can read more about that in this article: Magical Cups & Bloody Brides: Virginity in Context

Okay thank you very much for that. It’s only very light spotting but it’s on my mind and I am a bit worried. As I lost it Saturday night, i should stop spotting by tomorrow shouldn’t I?

You're welcome! And yes, while we can't say for certain when the spotting will stop, it's likely that it will end in the next day or so.

Thank you again! Following on from our conversation. I saw him again last night and things got pretty heated and he ended up fingering me quite a bit. I went to the toilet this morning and there was bright red blood again. I read somewhere that it’s possible to start your period earlier but the thing is I’m on the pill and I actually take my last one of the cycle tonight and then I usually start my period Friday or Saturday. Should I be worried?

Sorry for another message, I just forgot to include it in my previous message! As there was a bit of blood this morning, do you think there’s a possibility that it’s because my vagina hasn’t had time to heal considering I lost my virginity Saturday night?

It is possible that this is the start of your withdrawal bleed (your period on the pill), especially since you're fairly close to your placebo week. It's also possible that when the two of you had manual sex last night it re-opened a cut (or caused a new one if gloves were not used). We can't say for certain of course, but those are the most likely causes of the bleeding and aren't cause for immediate concern.

Thanks again Sam. Should I just take my last pill of the cycle tonight as normal and expect my period to have changed a bit?

You're welcome! And yes, you should take your last pill as you normally would and then just sort of see what happens with your withdrawal bleed this month.