Brown discharge after missing a period?

[Pinkpopcorn]

I missed my last period in March. I have never had vaginal sex with my boyfriend, and he respects my boundaries. I have had a ton of stress on top of my periods being slightly irregular. So I’m positive that my missed period isn’t due to pregnancy. On Monday i woke up having cramps and finding discharge on my liner. I figured it had just started and took my first bc pill (for me it’s because of the irregularities in periods). It is late Thursday night/Friday morning and the brown discharge has not gone away. I heard that it can be a sign of pregnancy but i know for a fact that it can’t be, i have not had vaginal sex, consenual or not, at all in my life. I want an explanation before i freak… thanks Scarleteen

[Siân]

Hi pinkpopcorn,

When you say first bc pill do you mean first ever, or first of the pack? Starting a new method of birth control can do lots of weird things to your periods whilst everything settles down, including making them super light and appear more like spotting (which can appear as small amounts of brownish discharge).

[Pinkpopcorn]

This is my first time ever taking hormonal birth control.

[Sam W]

Thank you for clarifying! In that case, what you're experiencing is likely a side effect of the pill. You may also find this article helpful, since it covers different types of discharge and their causes: Honorably Discharged: A Guide to Vaginal Secretions.