They can also indicate health problems and require a visit to the doctor as soon as possible. We'll explain the possible causes of bleeding during or after sex below.
Bleeding after sex - the most important facts at a glance
- Bleeding during or after sex can have various causes.
- Harmless triggers include vaginal dryness and bleeding between periods.
- Conditions that can lead to bleeding after sex include endometriosis and various sexually transmitted diseases.
- Depending on the cause, simple measures such as using lubricant can sometimes be enough to prevent bleeding.
- If you bleed regularly after sex or if you have other symptoms, it is important to consult your gynaecologist.
What causes bleeding during or after sex?
It is not uncommon to have bleeding during sex or immediately after sex. There are many possible causes. Fortunately, most of them are harmless.
Occasionally, however, bleeding during or after sexual intercourse can be triggered by a serious illness. Depending on the severity, frequency and other symptoms, an appointment with your gynaecologist may be advisable.
Vaginal dryness
If you don't get properly moist, the friction during intercourse can easily lead to minor injuries and thus to bleeding. There are many causes of vaginal dryness. In older women, for example, it can indicate that the menopause is approaching. But vaginal dryness can also occur in younger women.
If you are affected by this, it is best to use lubricant during sex in future. As a rule, this should also prevent bleeding. Apart from that, sex is simply more pleasant for you with lubricant, despite a dry vagina.
Prolonged sex
Vaginal dryness is not always the reason why you bleed a little during or after sex. Maybe the sex was just a bit wilder or a bit longer.
This can also sometimes cause minor injuries to your vagina due to friction. As long as you don't feel any pain, this is usually not a big deal.
Bleeding between periods
Bleeding between periods, or spotting, is not uncommon in women outside of menstruation. They usually have a harmless cause and can sometimes start accidentally during sex.
Of course, this inevitably leads to light bleeding during sex or shortly afterwards.
Endometriosis
In women with endometriosis, the lining of the uterus forms outside the uterus. Endometriosis is usually extremely painful, and the pain is particularly intense during menstruation and during sex.
Depending on where the growths have formed, it can also happen that bleeding occurs after sex because of the endometriosis.
Sexually transmitted diseases
Apart from endometriosis, various sexually transmitted diseases can also be responsible for bleeding during or after sex. Diseases like gonorrhoea and chlamydia lead to inflammation, which causes the blood vessels in the vagina to swell.
Friction during sex can cause them to burst, which in turn can lead to bleeding after sex. In addition, you will probably feel burning and itching.
Polyps
Polyps are benign growths. If they form in the cervix, they can cause bleeding during or shortly after sex.
Removing polyps is usually not a big problem and can usually be done as part of a routine outpatient procedure.
Pregnancy
During pregnancy, the blood vessels in your cervix are very well supplied with blood. This means that they can burst relatively easily during sex, which inevitably leads to bleeding.
As long as the bleeding is light and you don't feel any pain, there is usually nothing to worry about. If you are unsure or do not know where the bleeding is coming from, a visit to your gynaecologist is of course recommended.
Cervical cancer
Unfortunately, in some cases, bleeding during sex or immediately afterwards can be a sign of cervical cancer. Other symptoms that can occur in this case include pain when urinating and foul-smelling vaginal discharge.
Bear in mind that cervical cancer is asymptomatic for a long time and is therefore often discovered very late. It is therefore all the more important that you have regular check-ups with your gynaecologist and do not simply ignore any abnormalities.
Bleeding during or after sex - our conclusion
As you can see, there are many reasons why you may bleed during or immediately after sex. Some of the causes can be easily remedied by using lubricant, for example.
However, bleeding can also be a symptom of a disease. If in doubt, don't hesitate to contact your gynaecologist for a check-up.
