Other Bleeding from the Vagina

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page 362 to 363 of Where Women Have No Doctor

Bleeding During Pregnancy or After Birth
Spotting or light bleeding during the first 3 months of pregnancy is common. If there is no pain, this is usually not harmful to the pregnancy. But light bleeding can sometimes be a sign of early miscarriage. When bleeding is heavy or for the problems described in this chart, medical help is needed.
Bleeding Problem	May be caused by	What to do
Bleeding during the first 3 months of pregnancy with constant pain or pain that comes and goes.	pregnancy in the tube	URGENT! Go to a hospital right away.
Bleeding any time during the last 3 months of pregnancy.	the afterbirth (placenta) is coming off the wall of the womb the placenta is covering the cervix	URGENT! Go to a hospital right away.
Bleeding during the first 6 months of pregnancy	may be a miscarriage (especially if you also have cramping)	Watch and wait. If bleeding becomes heavy, go to a hospital.
Bleeding during or just after birth that does not stop within one day (24 hours), or soaks through 2 pads or cloths in an hour.	the placenta will not come out pieces of the placenta are left in the womb the womb will not contract (become hard)	URGENT! See a midwife or go to a hospital.

Bleeding After an Abortion or Miscarriage
It is normal to have bleeding like a light menstrual period for as long as 2 weeks after an abortion and spotting for 4 to 6 weeks, until your menstrual period returns. But if bleeding is heavy, get medical help.
Bleeding Problem	May be caused by	What to do
Bleeding that soaks more than 2 pads or cloths in an hour for 2 hours in a row, bleeding with dizziness, or blood clots larger than an orange.	pieces of the pregnancy still in the womb infection in the womb	URGENT! Go to a hospital right away.

Bleeding After Sex
Bleeding Problem	May be caused by	What to do
Bleeding during or after sex	sexually transmitted infection (STI) pelvic inflammatory disease forced sex growths or cancer of the cervix or womb	See “Gonorrhea and chlamydia.”. See “PID.” See “Rape.”. See “Cancer of the cervix” and “Problems of the womb.

Bleeding After Menopause
Bleeding Problem	May be caused by	What to do
Bleeding after menopause (after not having menstrual periods for 12 months).	growths in the womb or on the cervix that are not cancer cancer of the cervix or in the womb	See a health worker trained to do a pelvic exam. Growths can often be removed and there are ways to test for cancer.

This page was updated:22 Jan 2024

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