Brown Discharge: What Does It Mean

There are external factors that cause spotting outside or instead of a period:

Spotting Instead of Period: 16 Reasons You’re Not Having a Period

Spotting instead of period bleeding can be due to factors like stress, a change in birth control method, pregnancy, menopause, ovulation, an infection, a hormone imbalance, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), or fibroids. Other medical conditions, trauma, and even smoking can cause spotting.

Spotting is abnormal vaginal bleeding that occurs outside of or instead of your period. It’s considerably lighter, usually dark brown, red, or pink, and lasts up to a few days. It may be light enough that you only notice it when you wipe.

Verywell / Jessica Olah

What Causes Spotting Instead of Period Bleeding?

Some abnormal vaginal bleeding is related to hormonal changes, while other episodes result from medical conditions or external factors.

Depending on the cause, the blood may come from places other than the uterine lining that sheds during your period.

Natural Changes That Can Causes Spotting

Causes of spotting that relate to natural changes in the body include:

• Pregnancy: Early pregnancy implantation spotting can occur when a fertilized egg attaches to the uterus. Spotting may be brown or pink and is considered normal early on. However, if you notice spotting at any time during pregnancy, contact your healthcare provider just to be safe.
• Hormonal changes at puberty: The first menstrual period may be very light. It is also common to have irregular periods for the first few years, which may include occasional spotting.
• Hormonal changes at menopause: You may spot during the transition into menopause. This is usually not something to worry about, but you should consult your healthcare provider to be sure.
• Ovulation: When an egg is released during your menstrual cycle, it breaks free of the structure that surrounds it. This can cause pink or red spotting. Ovulation bleeding tends to be very light and usually lasts only a day or two.

What may appear to be spotting during your menstrual cycle is considered normal, especially at the beginning and end of your period.

Health Conditions That May Cause Spotting

Spotting can be associated with various health conditions that may need treatment.

• Polyps: Benign growths in the uterus can cause spotting, irregular periods, and pain.
• Fibroid tumors: Benign uterine tumors can cause spotting and pain.
• Thyroid conditions: Different thyroid conditions can affect menstruation, including causing long periods, absent periods, and spotting.
• Weight: Being underweight or overweight, as well as any recent weight changes, can be associated with menstrual irregularities, including spotting.
• Sexually transmitted infections (STIs): Gonorrhea , in particular, can cause brown spotting, but may also produce a white or green discharge.
• Pelvic inflammatory disease: This infection can cause spotting and pain, especially after sexual intercourse.
• Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS): This hormonal imbalance can cause spotting.
• Cancer: Certain cancers of the reproductive system can cause spotting. This may look more like a red-tinged discharge.

External Causes of Spotting

There are external factors that cause spotting outside or instead of a period:

• Hormonal birth control: These may cause brown spotting, particularly when you first start taking them.
• Smoking: People who smoke are more likely to have spotting.
• Stress: Both mental and physical stress can affect the menstrual cycle and result in spotting.
• Trauma: Rough sex, sexual abuse, or rape may cause spotting.

If you feel concerned about spotting or it seems unusual, is painful, and/or is accompanied by discharge, contact your healthcare provider.

Spotting vs. Discharge vs. Regular Cycle

It can be difficult to know if you are experiencing spotting, discharge, or bleeding as part of your regular menstrual cycle. However, there are some signs to indicate what is occurring.

Spotting is light, vaginal bleeding. It can be either red, light brown, or dark brown.

There are several types of vaginal discharge:

• Pink discharge can mean cervical bleeding or be linked to pregnancy when a fertilized egg implants in the uterus.
• Clear discharge is normal and helps keep your vagina clean and healthy. If it’s “stretchy,” it can mean you are ovulating.
• White discharge can be healthy but can also be a sign of a yeast infection.
• Gray discharge can be a sign of an infection called bacterial vaginosis .
• Yellow or green discharge can signify a sexually transmitted infection (STI).
• Brown discharge is usually older blood that has left the uterus slowly. It’s usually normal when it happens at the beginning or end of your period. It’s also likely harmless at other times in your cycle, but if it has an odor or is painful, see your healthcare provider.

Red discharge or bleeding is generally part of your menstrual cycle. There may be a medical reason if it is very heavy or comes at an unusual time. Contact your healthcare provider if your period seems unusual or particularly painful.

Know Your Menstrual Cycle

Your period is such a regular part of life that it can be easy not to pay full attention. However, it is helpful to know your cycle. Try marking the first day of your period on a calendar every month for six months. Note regularity, light days, heavy days, and any spotting. If something changes, you will be aware of it and can consult your healthcare provider if needed.

When to See a Healthcare Provider

Although most females will spot at some point in their lives, there are instances when you should see your healthcare provider. Ask yourself the following questions:

• Am I having vaginal bleeding when I don’t expect it? Although spotting can be normal, it’s important to have any unusual bleeding checked out by a physician.
• Have I been skipping periods or bleeding less than usual?
• Am I pregnant or could I be? Spotting can be expected early in pregnancy, but it should be checked.
• Am I having spotting or bleeding after menopause? People who have already undergone menopause should not have vaginal bleeding.
• Am I noticing spotting or bleeding after sex? It may be an infection which needs medical treatment.

In general, anything out of the ordinary with your vaginal spotting or bleeding means it’s worth contacting your healthcare provider.

Summary

There are many reasons why you may be spotting when you are not having your period. Most likely, it may be a part of the beginning or end of your period. Spotting can be a normal part of the reproductive years.

However, there are times when it might indicate something more serious. Understanding when spotting is not typical and paying attention to your cycle can help identify when to contact a healthcare provider.

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

1. University of Michigan Health – Michigan Medicine. Abnormal vaginal bleeding.
2. Mount Sinai. Vaginal bleeding between periods.
3. NHS. Vaginal bleeding in pregnancy.
4. Joshi BR, Rizal S, Subedi S. Thyroid dysfunction in patient with abnormal uterine bleeding in a tertiary hospital of eastern Nepal: a descriptive cross-sectional study. JNMA J Nepal Med Assoc. 2021;59(239):635-639. doi:10.31729/jnma.6487
5. Ko KM, Han K, Chung YJ, Yoon KH, Park YG, Lee SH. Association between body weight changes and menstrual irregularity: the Korea national health and nutrition examination survey 2010 to 2012. Endocrinol Metab (Seoul). 2017;32(2):248-256. doi:10.3803/EnM.2017.32.2.248
6. Family Doctor.org. Vaginal discharge.

By Nancy LeBrun
LeBrun is a Maryland-based freelance writer and award-winning documentary producer with a bachelor’s degree in communications.

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Brown Discharge: What Does It Mean?

The release of brown discharge is often caused by a small amount of old blood mixing with your normal vaginal discharge. This creates a brown tinge. The reasoning for this brown color is that as blood ages, it turns from red to brown giving your discharge light to dark brown.

Although it can be quite concerning, the good news is that most of the time it is nothing to worry about – discharge is normal! If you are concerned, it is always better to keep an eye on it and talk to your healthcare provider

The possible causes of brown vaginal discharge include:

• Delayed or partial periods
• Hormonal contraceptive
• Ovulation spotting
• Pregnancy
• Perimenopause

Other causes include:

• Bacterial Vaginosis (BV) (Gardnerella)
• Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)
• Endometriosis
• Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs), in particular, chlamydia
• Cervical Cancer

If you are concerned that you may have any of these conditions, please see your primary healthcare provider.

Get Tested for Vaginitis

Check your vaginal health with our Vaginitis testing option. Treatment is also available in line with clinical guidelines.

• What is brown discharge?
• Is brown discharge normal before period?
• What does brown discharge mean?
• When should I be concerned about brown discharge?
• When should you talk to your doctor about brown discharge?

What is brown discharge?

In the vast majority of cases having a little bit of older blood in your discharge is perfectly fine and nothing to worry about. Most of the time, brown discharge is just blood from your last period taking a little longer to be expelled.

Experiencing a small amount of blood or brown discharge mid-cycle can also be a sign of ovulation or pregnancy (implantation bleeding) – a positive sign if you are trying to conceive.

When a woman comes to my office and is concerned about brown discharge, the first step I take is to get a better understanding of her situation, This includes:

• Her age
• Whether she is sexually active
• Whether she using hormonal birth control
• Whether or not there is a chance that she is pregnant

This is because the circumstances and symptoms that accompany brown discharge often shed more light on the cause of the brown discharge than the discharge itself.

Is brown discharge normal before period?

A common cause for concern for many girls experiencing their first or second year of menstruation is that their period blood is not always red.

If you have recently started your period, having a small amount of brown discharge is often nothing to be concerned about. The color of your discharge changes throughout your menstrual cycle due to fluctuations in your hormones and it might look something like the below:

• Red/brown during your period
• Thick and white just after your period
• Clear, like egg white during the middle of your cycle – this marks the time around ovulation.

If you are experiencing other symptoms along with brown discharge or if you are noticing brown discharge mid-cycle then you should talk to a parent and/or see a healthcare professional you trust.

What does brown discharge mean?

It is often perfectly normal to notice brown discharge during your cycle. It might be caused by something as simple as a delayed period, your hormonal contraceptive, or the onset of perimenopause, some other potential reasons include:

Delayed or partial periods

Menstruation occurs when your hormones tell your body that you haven’t gotten pregnant this cycle causing your body to expel the endometrial lining in preparation for your next cycle.

Sometimes, your body isn’t able to completely expel all the endometrial lining immediately leaving a small amount in the uterus. Throughout your next cycle, you might notice pink or brown spotting in your underwear or when you wipe.

This is just the rest of the endometrial cells being expelled. While it might appear alarming, in most cases it is nothing to worry about.

If this becomes a regular occurrence then it is best to let your doctor know.

Hormonal contraceptive

Most hormonal birth control methods work by interfering with your body’s natural hormonal cycle to prevent your body from ovulating. The drawback to this hormonal interference is that it can cause some unwanted side effects.

If you have just started using a new hormonal birth control method or forgot to take your birth control pill for a day or two, you may experience brown discharge.

If you are noticing prolonged periods of this or are experiencing other side effects such as nausea, weight gain, sore or swollen breasts, and mood changes, then it is best to let your doctor know as they will be able to recommend a birth control method that better suits your body.

Ovulation spotting

Seeing brown spotting mid-way through your cycle could be a sign that you have just ovulated. When the egg leaves the follicle during ovulation or as a result of the changing hormone levels it is common for some women to notice some mild spotting of blood.

This spotting can be light red, pink, or brown in color as it often mixes with the clear egg white type cervical fluid present around the time of ovulation.

Pregnancy

If you notice a small amount of brown discharge or spotting a couple of days before you are expecting your period it may indicate early pregnancy. When the fertilized egg implants itself to the uterine lining it can cause a small amount of bleeding, more commonly known as “implantation bleeding”.

This bleeding is typically very light and lasts only a couple of days (1-2 days). The existence of implantation is a topic of debate in the medical community but if you do notice some brown discharge around this time, don’t be alarmed as it is perfectly normal and doesn’t pose any risk to your chances of maintaining a pregnancy.

Perimenopause

During the initial stages of menopause, your period can be replaced with bouts of brown discharge or spotting as your hormonal balance begins to change.
Women typically start to enter these initial stages of menopause after the age of 35-40 and is often accompanied by night sweats, vaginal dryness, sleep disruption, hot flashes, and mood swings.

If your symptoms are severe then talk to your doctor as they may be able to give you some medication to ease the severity of your symptoms.

When Should I Be Concerned About Brown Discharge?

Brown discharge may be caused by a number of completely natural causes that pose no risk to your health. However, I cannot stress enough that in certain circumstances it can also be a sign of a more serious problem that requires medical attention. Typically, this is only the case if the brown discharge you notice is accompanied by other symptoms.

These are some of the other possible causes of brown discharge and the symptoms that will often accompany it:

Bacterial Vaginosis (BV)

About 1 in 10 women will get bacterial vaginosis at some point in their lives. Bacterial vaginosis is not an STD – you can still have bacterial vaginosis even if you have never had sex.

BV is common in women who are pregnant, the condition occurs when there is an imbalance in certain bacteria in the vagina. Some common symptoms include:

• Fishy smell originating from the vagina
• Brown colored discharge
• Burning sensation when urinating

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)

PCOS is the most common reproductive endocrine disease among women, with an estimated 5-10% of teens and young women developing the condition. Brown-colored discharge can happen as a result of irregular periods associated with this condition.

The severity of the symptoms can vary from woman to woman but if you notice any of the below symptoms you should talk to your doctor about them, as it might be a sign that you have a hormonal imbalance.

Some common symptoms include:

• Irregular, long, heavy, unpredictable or light bleeding
• Excessive hair growth on the face or body
• Acne
• Male pattern baldness or thinning of the hair
• Weight gain

Endometriosis

Endometriosis is a condition where the endometrial lining that normally forms on the inside of the uterus, grows outside the uterus around the ovaries, in bowel tissue, or in the cervix or vagina.

During your period the body will shed the endometrial lining of the uterus and anywhere else it has formed, causing extreme pain and very heavy periods.

Brown discharge before and/or after your period can also be a sign of endometriosis if it is accompanied by the following symptoms:

• Pain during sex
• Extremely painful periods
• Constipation or diarrhoea
• Bloating or nausea
• Difficulty getting pregnant

Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs)

Brown vaginal discharge can also be an early sign of an STD if it’s accompanied by the following symptoms:

• Rashes
• Burning sensation when urinating
• Pain during or after sex
• Abdominal pain
• Fever
• Foul-smelling discharge

Some of the STDs known to cause vaginal discharge include:

• Chlamydia
• Gonorrhoea
• HPV
• Vulvovaginitis
• Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID)

Cervical Cancer

In very rare cases, the brown discharge might also be an indicator of cervical cancer if it is accompanied by the following symptoms:

• Unexpected weight loss
• Pain during sex
• Bleeding after sex
• Weakness
• Heavier or longer periods
• Breakthrough bleeding in between periods
• Irregular bleeding patterns

This is by far the most serious cause of brown discharge, but as cervical cancer is quite rare (the National Cancer Institute estimates that only 0.6% of women will be diagnosed with cervical cancer in their lifetimes) it is unlikely that your brown discharge is being caused by cervical cancer.

However, if you do notice discharge along with any of the above symptoms then talk to your doctor immediately just to make sure you get screened for cervical cancer as soon as possible.

Find out more about vaginal discharge by watching this short video:

When should you talk to your doctor about brown discharge?

As you can see, there are so many potential causes for brown discharge that it is impossible for us to say for certain what is causing yours. If you are concerned about vaginal discharge, it is always best to talk to your doctor about your symptoms.

I recommend that you speak to your doctor just to make sure everything is okay if you notice brown discharge along with any of these other symptoms:

• Pain or bleeding during/after intercourse
• Lower abdominal pain
• Excessively heavy periods
• Painful urination
• Pelvic pain
• Foul-smelling discharge
• Breakthrough bleeding
• Any abnormal bleeding between your menstrual cycle that lasts for three days or more
• Any abnormal spotting that occurs for three or more consecutive menstrual cycles
• Any abnormal abnormal vaginal bleeding or spotting after completing menopause

Occasional brown discharge is normally nothing to worry about. However, it is a good idea to take note of when it has occurred and what (if any) other unusual symptoms you may be displaying. This way you will know what is normal for you and have all the information you need if you do decide to buy or test or go to the doctor.

Abnormal discharge can happen as a result of an STD but that’s not always the case. Other infections such as Vaginitis, which is an inflammation or infection in the vaginal area, may also be the cause. If you suspect that you are experiencing vaginal discharge as a result of either, you can get checked with your doctor or test with LetsGetChecked’s range of STI testing options or Vaginitis Testing option.

LetsGetChecked’s home sample collection kits arrive in discreet packaging with a return envelope and clear instructions inside. Online results will be available within ~2-5 days and our dedicated clinical team will be available to answer any questions you may have throughout the process. Should you test positive, we can provide treatment per clinical guidelines. We will send this treatment to your home at no additional charge, so there is no need to visit the drugstore.

You should consider testing if:

• You become sexually active
• You have had unprotected sex
• You are experiencing symptoms of a sexually transmitted infection
• You are entering into a new sexual relationship
• You have received a notification from a previous partner that they are infected

Get Tested for Vaginitis

Check your vaginal health with our Vaginitis testing option. Treatment is also available in line with clinical guidelines.

Please note that the following is for educational use only and is not a substitute for medical advice. This content cannot diagnose or provide information about treatment. Consult with your healthcare provider if you have any concerns or need specific medical advice relating to any symptoms, conditions, diagnosis, or treatment. Do not delay seeking medical advice and do not disregard professional medical advice based on this content. Your healthcare provider can provide the most suitable guidance based on your situation.