You may sometimes find light spots of blood on your underwear when you are not on your period. This is called ‘spotting’.
Should you be worried?
There are several reasons why you could be spotting. These are the most common ones:
Ovulation: Every month, between your periods, your body releases an egg. This can cause some spotting.
Pregnancy: When you are pregnant, you can also see some spotting during the first few weeks.
Contraceptives: When you start with a new contraceptive, this may cause spotting.
STIs: Some sexually transmitted infections may lead to spotting.
Illnesses such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS): This illness affects your ovaries and hormones, and it can lead to spotting.
As you can see in the examples above, spotting does not have to mean something serious is wrong. But it can be. And the sooner you get advice from a healthcare provider, the better treatment will work.
Always check with your healthcare provider if you notice that you are spotting and you are not sure what could be causing the spotting.
Want to learn more about getting your period? Read this.
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