Bleeding After Sex

[tangledbrain]

A few months ago, I lost my virginity and had a period for a month. I spoke to my OB about this problem and she just put me on a combination birth control. She didn’t seem concerned at all. This works for the most part, but before sometimes I’d still have minimal spotting after sex. Most recently, my boyfriend and I went about a month without sex. Then this weekend, we did. We don’t have a problem with lubrication or anything, but he does have a very large penis and sex tends to be rough. I don’t ever experience pain though, and if I do we stop. After about four or five rounds of sex, I started bleeding. At first it was minimal spotting, but now it’s a light flow like a period. I’m not due for a period for three more weeks. Is this a serious concern, or could it just be caused by my boyfriend?

[Sam W]

Hi tangledbrain,

We can't say for certain what the source of the bleeding is. If you've only been on the pill a few months, your cycle may still be adjusting which has lead to your withdrawal bleed coming earlier than expected. It's also possible that there was a small tear or cut that happened during sex, although the fact that the bleeding has increased makes me think that is the less likely option. Also, just to check, are you and he up to date on your STI testing?

[tangledbrain]

Yes, we’re both up to date with STI tests.

[Sam W]

Got it (sometimes unexplained bleeding can be a symptom of an STI, so we always want to rule that out).

[tangledbrain]

That makes sense. I didn’t have this problem before I started having sex, but I always had very heavy, very painful periods. Endometriosis does run in my family as well. Maybe I should talk to my doctor about that being a possibility. Could that along with my birth control be causing this?

[Sam W]

If you've been having painful, heavy periods for most or all of your life and your family has a history of Endometriosis, then that is definitely something that bring up with a healthcare provider. You can read more about why you should bring it up, and how to talk about it with healthcare providers in this article: http://www.scarleteen.com/article/bodie ... riod_pains