7 reasons why you may experience brown discharge

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:

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.

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.

7 reasons why you may experience brown discharge

Facebook Email icon An envelope. It indicates the ability to send an email.

Email Twitter icon A stylized bird with an open mouth, tweeting.

Twitter LinkedIn icon

LinkedIn Link icon An image of a chain link. It symobilizes a website link url.

Copy Link lighning bolt icon An icon in the shape of a lightning bolt.

Save Article Icon A bookmark

This article was medically reviewed by Lauren Demosthenes, MD, OB-GYN, senior medical director at Babyscripts.

Medically Reviewed Reviewed By Check Mark Icon A check mark. It indicates that the relevant content has been reviewed and verified by an expert

Our stories are reviewed by medical professionals to ensure you get the most accurate and useful information about your health and wellness. For more information, visit our medical review board.

Angle down icon An icon in the shape of an angle pointing down.

It’s normal to have brown discharge at the beginning and end of your period. Image Source/Getty

This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now. Have an account? Log in .

Brown discharge can happen at the beginning and end of your period because the blood oxidizes.
It can also be a sign of certain STIs like chlamydia and gonorrhea or pelvic inflammatory disease.
Bloody, brown discharge is also the most common sign of endometrial cancer.

1. Your period is coming or has just ended

Brown discharge at the beginning of or end of your period usually occurs because the blood is moving more slowly than in the middle of your period. As the blood takes more time to leave the uterus, it oxidizes, turning from a red color to a more brown hue.

How to treat it: Brown discharge at the beginning or end of your period is normal and not typically a cause for concern. But if brown discharge persists for several days or weeks after your period ends or is accompanied by an unpleasant smell, itching, or burning, reach out to your doctor as it could be a sign of infection.

2. Hormonal contraception

Some birth control methods like IUDs or implants that release progestin can cause spotting, irregular menstruation, and brown discharge.

This is more likely with birth control methods that contain little to no estrogen as a lack of estrogen can cause the lining of the uterus to shed a little at a time. And just like at the beginning or end of your period, when blood leaves the uterus slowly it oxidizes and turns brown.

How to treat it: Spotting due to hormonal contraception is not usually a cause for concern and should go away about three months after having an IUD implanted or starting a low-estrogen birth control pill. But if the spotting continues and bothers you, talk with your doctor about your options for switching to a birth control method without this side effect.

3. Sexually transmitted infections

Some sexually transmitted infections, like chlamydia and gonorrhea, can cause vaginal bleeding and brown discharge, says Mel Davis-Hall, GP, medical director at The Lowdown, a contraception prescription platform.

Other symptoms of chlamydia include:

Pain or burning during urination
Dull pain in the lower part of your abdomen
Painful intercourse

Other symptoms of gonorrhea include:

Bleeding between periods
Painful urination
Soreness

In some cases, you may not experience any symptoms with these infections. If you are sexually active, it’s important to get tested for STIs often so you can receive proper treatment if you have an STI and don’t realize it. Using condoms can also reduce the risk of contracting an STI or passing the infection on to someone else.

How to treat it: Both chlamydia and gonorrhea are treated with antibiotics, which can clear the infection within a couple weeks. It’s important to receive proper treatment as soon as possible, as untreated STIs can cause complications, like pelvic inflammatory disease.

4. Pelvic inflammatory disease

Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) is an infection of the human reproductive organs often caused by bacteria from an untreated STI, like chlamydia or gonorrhea.

Symptoms of PID include:

Brown vaginal discharge
Pain in your lower abdomen or uterus
Fever
Abnormal bleeding between periods
Pain during intercourse
Painful urination

If left untreated, PID can cause severe complications, including infertility or a fatal infection, so if you are experiencing symptoms of PID, seek medical care as soon as possible, says David Kimble, MD, a urogynecologist at the Kimble Center.

How to treat it: PID can be treated with antibiotics, but the potential damage the disease can do to your reproductive organs can not be reversed.

5. Uterine fibroids

Uterine fibroids are noncancerous growths in your uterus that can cause brown discharge and abnormal bleeding, Davis-Hall says.

Other symptoms of uterine fibroids include:

Pelvic pain during sex
Urinary problems
Persistent lower back pain

Uterine fibroids are not usually dangerous, though in some cases they can lead to complications, like blockage of the urinary tract and infertility.

How to treat it: Treatment for uterine fibroids can vary depending on your health history and the severity of your fibroids and symptoms. Common treatment options include:

Hormone injections
Hormonal birth control
Surgery to remove the fibroids

6. Cancer

The presence of brown discharge can indicate either cervical or endometrial cancer, Kimble says. In fact, the most common sign of endometrial cancer is blood in your discharge and unusual vaginal bleeding.

Other signs of endometrial cancer include:

Painful intercourse
Difficult or painful urination
Pelvic pain

Brown discharge is a less prevalent sign of cervical cancer but can occur, Kimble says. Seek medical care If your brown discharge is accompanied by other signs of cervical cancer, including:

Painful intercourse
Heavy or prolonged periods
Bleeding between periods
Unexplained weight loss
Weakness and fatigue

How to treat it: Treatment for cervical or endometrial cancer can vary depending on the progression of the disease and your health history. But in general, treatment can include:

Surgery to remove cancer tissue or reproductive organs
Radiation
Chemotherapy
Hormone therapy

Regular pap smears can help reduce your risk of cervical cancer. And you can decrease your risk of endometrial cancer by maintaining a healthy lifestyle of regular exercise and a nutritional diet.

Estrogen-only hormone therapy can also increase the risk of endometrial cancer, so if you are considering hormone therapy to treat symptoms of menopause, discuss this risk with your doctor.

7. Postmenopausal bleeding

Menopause is where a person’s periods stop, usually between the ages of 45 and 55. If a person experiences vaginal bleeding a year after their period has stopped, even if it’s a small amount of blood or pink or brown discharge, it could be postmenopausal bleeding. It can be a sign of cancer so it’s important to get it checked out even if it happens once.

Other signs of postmenopausal bleeding include:

How to treat it: The treatment depends on the cause of the bleeding. For example:

Cervical polyps may need to be removed.
Changing or coming off hormone replacement therapy.
Womb or ovarian cancer can be treated with surgery.

Insider’s takeaway

Brown discharge is often part of a normal menstrual cycle and may be present at the beginning or end of your period when blood leaves the uterus slowly. Spotting or brown discharge can also be a side effect of some types of hormonal birth control.

In some cases, brown discharge can be a sign of a health condition that needs medical treatment, including an STI, pelvic inflammatory disease, or cancer.

If you experience brown discharge that persists for weeks or months and is accompanied by other symptoms, like pelvic pain, an unpleasant smell, painful urination, or painful intercourse, seek medical attention.

Erin Heger

Erin Heger is a freelance journalist located in the Kansas City area. She primarily covers stories related to healthcare policy, maternal mental health, parenting, and personal finance. Her work been featured in The Atlantic, Rewire.News, Refinery29, HuffPost, and more.

Brown Discharge And Cramps

7 reasons why you may experience brown discharge

Brown Discharge: What Does It Mean?