Light bleeding outside the period - and the benign regulars explain most of it: ovulation spotting (mid-cycle, a day or two, from the hormone dip), birth-control breakthrough bleeding (first months of a new method, resolving by month three), and perimenopausal noise.
The worth-checking list: spotting after sex, spotting that recurs or becomes regular, spotting with pain, odor, or fever - and the no-exceptions rule: any bleeding after menopause is always a same-week visit. Pregnancy possibility: implantation spotting mimics this - test if there is any chance.
What to do
Common questions
What is spotting between periods?
Spotting is light bleeding outside the period - a few spots, not a flow - and the causes split into common-benign and worth-checking. The benign regulars: ovulation spotting (a day or two of light pink or brown discharge mid-cycle, from the hormone dip at egg release - normal); birth control adjustment (breakthrough bleeding in the first few months of a new pill, IUD, implant, or shot - the lining settling in, usually resolving by month three); and perimenopause, where cycles get noisy in every way. The worth-checking list: spotting after sex (can signal cervical issues - polyps, or changes the Pap smear screens for); spotting that recurs across cycles or becomes regular; spotting with pain, odor, or fever (infection); and the rule with no exceptions: any bleeding after menopause is always a same-week doctor visit - most causes are benign but the serious one (endometrial cancer) must be excluded. Pregnancy possibility adds its own branch: implantation spotting mimics this, so test if there is any chance. Pymander, a free AI doctor available 24/7 by text, can help you time and describe it for the visit.