What is spotting?

Spotting is a word that refers to vaginal bleeding that can occur outside of the menstrual period.

What is spotting?

Spotting is a word that refers to vaginal bleeding that can occur outside of the menstrual period. This bleeding is much less abundant, but darker than menstruation and affects many women, whether or not they are on contraception, on an occasional basis.

What causes spotting?

For the moment, hormonal imbalance seems to be the explanation of spotting. This phenomenon is due to a disturbance in the level of estrogen and progesterone during the menstrual cycle, even when on contraception. This can be due to several factors:

• Hormonal contraception. All hormonal contraceptives contain a certain dosage of female hormones. This dosage is different from one contraceptive method to another. Sometimes it takes a while to find the right contraceptive for your body. For example, if a contraceptive does not contain the right dosage for you, you may experience light bleeding between periods (spotting). This is also sometimes the case when you change your contraceptive method and long after you stop using it, while your body adjusts. Or if the pill is taken continuously from one month to the next for some reason.
• After ovulation, some women may also experience light bleeding.
• Spotting can also be a consequence of pre-menopause because the body undergoes a major hormonal imbalance during this period.
• Stress and emotions can sometimes also cause hormonal disturbances and sometimes spotting. Sometimes it even happens after a simple jetlag!
• Spotting can also occur at the beginning of a pregnancy, especially during the embryo implantation period. It is quite common since it affects one in four women.

In any case, if this bleeding persists or becomes frequent (this is called metrorrhagia), we advise you to talk to your doctor or gynecologist because spotting can also be an indicator of other gynecological diseases such as uterine fibroids, STIs, uterine polyps, endometriosis, PCOS, etc.

In any case, the treatment of spotting depends on its cause. It can be as simple as changing your hormonal contraception to suit your body, surgical treatment in the case of uterine fibroids or polyps, or specific medication in the case of infection.

If you suffer from spotting, menstrual panties can be an ally to better live these bleedings on a daily basis while waiting to solvethe cause of their appearance.

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