Light brown discharge before period on birth control

You're used to seeing vaginal discharge in your underwear. It's usually white, yellow, or clear, and it's a normal part of your menstrual cycle. But what does brown discharge mean? Or bloody discharge? Sometimes it can be a sign of pregnancy. In rare cases, it could be caused by a serious health condition. Fortunately, though, brown discharge is harmless in most cases.

What does brown discharge mean?

Brown vaginal discharge is brown because it's tinged with dried blood. (Blood turns brown as it dries.) That means some blood took a little extra time to come out of your uterus. See below for some reasons you may have brown spotting, brownish discharge, or brownish-pink discharge. Most commonly, it can happen at the beginning or end of a period, after a pelvic exam, after strenous sex, during implantation, around ovulation, and when you're taking birth control pills. 

What causes brown discharge before or after a period?

It’s not uncommon to have brown or light brown discharge for a few days at the start or the end of your period. This is menstrual blood that is taking a bit longer to be expelled from your uterus because there's less of it at these times and the flow is lighter.

What else usually causes brown discharge?

Pelvic exam or Pap smear

A pelvic exam is not likely to cause bleeding unless you're pregnant and your practitioner is checking your cervix. But an annual checkup with the gynecologist usually includes a Pap test along with a pelvic exam. And spots of red or brown blood after a Pap smear is common because the test involves scraping your delicate cervical tissues with a cotton swab or brush.

Vigorous sex

You could have some brown, blood-tinged discharge after sex. Friction during vigorous sex can cause some trauma to your vaginal or cervical tissues, especially if you're not well-lubricated, and that can cause some spotting. And the cervix can become bruised with deep penetration.

Birth control breakthrough bleeding

Hormonal contraception, such as birth control pills, may cause some spotting, especially when you first start using it. This breakthrough bleeding may be more common with the minipill, which contains no estrogen. If there’s too little estrogen in the body, your uterus may shed some of it's lining between periods. And when the blood comes out slowly, it can be brownish.

Implantation bleeding

Spotting or brownish discharge the week before you would expect your period can be an early sign of pregnancy. Not everyone has bleeding at this time, but some do. It’s called implantation bleeding because it's thought to be caused by the fertilized egg burrowing into the uterine lining, usually between 6 and 12 days after conception.

Ovulation spotting

A small number of people may have some spotting or discharge in the middle of their menstrual cycle, when the egg is released from the ovary. (You can estimate when you're ovulating with our Ovulation Calculator.)

Potentially serious causes of brown discharge

Perimenopause

Brown discharge may be a sign of perimenopause, the transition period before menopause, when periods stop for good. During this time, your menstrual cycle becomes irregular, which can cause spotting. You may also have hot flashes, vaginal dryness, decreased sex drive, irritability, moodiness, night sweats, and trouble sleeping. These symptoms usually start in your 40s. But perimenopause can start when you're younger and can be a reason for fertility problems. In this case, it's sometimes called primary ovarian insufficiency.

Something stuck in your vagina

If you have brown discharge that smells bad, there may be something stuck in your vagina that got left there accidentally, such as a tampon, condom, diaphragm, cervical cap, or sponge. If you still have symptoms after you remove it (or if you can't remove it), see your doctor. It may have caused a vaginal infection.

Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)

In rare cases, brown discharge can be due to a cervical infection like pelvic inflammatory disease, especially if it has an unusual smell. You'd likely have other symptoms as well, though, such as abdominal pain, pain during sex, burning during urination, and fever. Call your doctor. PID can be treated with antibiotics.

Sexually transmitted infection (STI)

Some STIs, such as gonorrhea or chlamydia, may cause vaginal discharge and spotting, as well as painful urination, pain during sex, and pelvic pressure. See your doctor if you have these symptoms. You may need antibiotics.

Ovarian cyst

An ovarian cyst is a fluid-filled sac that forms on or inside an ovary. Often they come and go, but if one continues to grow it can cause brown discharge. Call your doctor if you also have abdominal pain, pelvic pressure, or pain during sex or urination.

Endometriosis

Endometriosis is a condition  in which the tissue that normally lines the uterus (the endometrium) grows outside it. It may cause painful, heavy periods or spotting between periods, which can be brownish. Other symptoms may include painful bowel movements and urination, pain during sex, and difficulty getting pregnant.

Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)

Women with polycystic ovarian syndrome have a hormonal imbalance which makes ovulation rare or irregular, which can make it hard to get pregnant. It may cause light bleeding or brown discharge. You may have very light or very heavy periods or no periods, excess hair on your face or body, oily skin, dark patches of skin, and weight gain.

Cervical cancer

The most serious potential reason for brown discharge is cervical cancer, but this is extremely rare. Some signs of cervical cancer may include: spotting between periods, spotting after sex, heavier or longer periods, and increased vaginal discharge.

When to call the doctor about brown discharge

Call your doctor if:

• Brown discharge lasts more than a couple of weeks
• Brown discharge happens frequently after sex
• Your vaginal area itches or burns
• Your discharge smells odd
• You have cramping

These could be signs of an infection or a more serious condition.

Should I worry about brown discharge on birth control?

Why am I spotting before my period on birth control?

What does light brown discharge mean before period?