What Is Spotting? Causes, When to Worry, and What to Do

• Spotting is light bleeding between periods — far lighter than a normal flow, often pink or brown rather than bright red.
• Common harmless causes include ovulation, starting a new contraceptive, and early-pregnancy implantation bleeding.
• Colour alone tells you little. Timing, triggers (like sex), your age, and whether pregnancy is possible matter far more.
• Any bleeding 12 or more months after your last period is abnormal and must be checked — it is treated as cancer until proven otherwise.
• Bleeding after sex, persistent spotting over several cycles, and any bleeding in a known pregnancy should always be evaluated.
• Tracking your bleeding for two to three cycles gives you and your doctor the pattern needed to tell benign from serious.

Spotting is light bleeding between periods that is too scanty to count as a true period. A period is the cyclical shedding of the uterine lining, usually lasting two to seven days, with enough flow to fill a pad, tampon, or menstrual cup over time. Spotting is usually only a few drops to perhaps half a teaspoon across an entire day — often noticed as a brown or pink smear on tissue, on underwear, or after wiping. Volume is the first practical filter when you are asking whether what you are seeing is a period or something else.

Colour adds a clue but is less reliable than volume. Bright red blood is fresher, usually from active bleeding close to the surface, such as the cervix or vaginal wall. Brown or rust-coloured blood is older blood that has had time to oxidise — common when a small amount has lingered in the cervix or vagina for hours before coming out. Pink-tinged discharge is usually a little blood mixed with cervical mucus. None of these colours, on their own, tells you the cause. Brown blood does not mean something is "rotting" inside, a common myth — brown simply means oxidised. Our guide to brown discharge and what it means walks through this in more detail.

Pattern matters more than appearance. Spotting at a predictable point every cycle — for example around day 14 of a regular 28-day cycle — points to an ovulation-related cause. Spotting right after sex points to a contact cause from the cervix or vagina. Spotting that is irregular, has no clear trigger, and is increasing over weeks deserves more careful evaluation. Spotting after menopause is in a category of its own and is always treated as abnormal until proven otherwise.

There is also a difference between spotting and an unusually light period. A genuinely light period still tends to follow your usual timing and rhythm. Spotting tends to be acyclic, brief, and unrelated to the expected flow. If you normally have moderate periods and suddenly have only one day of barely-there bleeding in the month a period was due, that is a change worth checking — especially if pregnancy is possible — rather than just a light month. If your cycles themselves are erratic, our guide on what irregular periods can mean is a useful next read.

When bleeding patterns deviate consistently from normal, doctors use the umbrella term abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB). Gynaecologists classify the causes using a system called PALM-COEIN, which separates structural causes (polyps, adenomyosis, fibroids, malignancy) from non-structural ones (clotting disorders, ovulatory dysfunction, endometrial, iatrogenic, and not-otherwise-classified). You do not need to memorise this — the point is simply that if your spotting becomes an ongoing pattern rather than a one-off, there is a structured, logical way doctors work through it.

One of the most common harmless causes of spotting is ovulation itself. Around the time the ovary releases an egg, a brief dip in oestrogen can temporarily destabilise the uterine lining, and a small amount of bleeding can result. This usually happens about 14 days before your next period in a regular cycle. It is typically very light, lasts only a day or so, and often comes with mid-cycle pelvic twinges (mittelschmerz) or an increase in stretchy, egg-white cervical mucus. Most women never notice it; some see a few drops of pink or light brown discharge.

The physiology is straightforward. In the first half of the cycle, oestrogen rises and builds up the lining. Oestrogen peaks just before ovulation, then briefly dips before progesterone takes over. That short dip can be enough to shed a tiny bit of lining in some women. It is the same mechanism behind breakthrough bleeding on hormonal contraceptives — when hormone support briefly falters, the lining sheds a little. Our dedicated explainer on mid-cycle ovulation bleeding covers exactly when this is normal.

Ovulation spotting is not a disease and needs no treatment on its own. The signs that point to it are predictable mid-cycle timing, very small volume, brief duration (usually under a day), and no other concerning features such as disabling pain, fever, or significant blood loss. If you track your cycle for two or three months and the spotting always lands around the same point relative to your next expected period, ovulation is a very likely explanation. For couples trying to conceive, ovulation spotting can be a helpful sign — though its absence does not mean you are not ovulating. If you prefer not to use an app, our guide to cycle tracking without an app explains paper charts and basal body temperature.

Ovulation is not the only cause of mid-cycle bleeding, though. Cervical polyps, cervical ectropion, infection, and endometrial polyps can all cause bleeding that happens to coincide with mid-cycle. The way to tell them apart is the broader pattern: ovulation spotting is short, self-limited, and does not worsen over time. Bleeding from a polyp or infection tends to be more random, may follow sex, and may slowly become more frequent or heavier. Persistent mid-cycle spotting that continues for several months, or comes with discharge, pain, or post-coital bleeding, should be evaluated rather than assumed to be ovulation.

A practical note for India: many women have irregular cycles from PCOS, thyroid problems, perimenopause, or a recent contraceptive change. If you cannot reliably predict when ovulation should happen, you cannot reliably blame spotting on it. PCOS in particular often produces cycles where ovulation does not occur at all, so the bleeding is not really "mid-cycle" in any meaningful sense and may instead reflect oestrogen breakthrough on a thickened lining. In that situation, repeated irregular bleeding deserves a proper workup rather than self-diagnosis.

If pregnancy is possible, spotting takes on a different meaning. Implantation bleeding is light bleeding that can occur when a fertilised embryo attaches to the uterine lining, usually about 6 to 12 days after ovulation — often just before the period was due. It is typically very light, pink or brown, and lasts only a few hours to a day or two. Many women mistake it for an unusually light period and are surprised weeks later to find they are pregnant. The clue is timing: if a period that should have arrived is instead just a brief spotting episode and conception is possible, take a pregnancy test. Our guide on implantation bleeding versus an early period breaks down the differences.

Spotting in early pregnancy is common, affecting roughly 1 in 5 to 1 in 4 first-trimester pregnancies, and most of these pregnancies continue normally. But early-pregnancy bleeding can also signal a complication: threatened miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, or molar pregnancy. Features that make bleeding more concerning include heavy flow, severe one-sided pelvic pain, shoulder-tip pain, dizziness or fainting, and passing tissue or clots. Ectopic pregnancy is a medical emergency, because a rupture can cause life-threatening internal bleeding, and in India it is too often diagnosed late.

If you know or suspect you are pregnant, any vaginal bleeding deserves prompt attention. That does not always mean an emergency visit, but it does mean contacting a gynaecologist the same day or the next morning. Investigations usually include a urine pregnancy test, a quantitative serum beta-hCG, and a transvaginal ultrasound to confirm the location and viability of the pregnancy. Serial beta-hCG measurements, usually 48 hours apart, help distinguish a healthy intrauterine pregnancy from an ectopic or non-viable one. Our piece on how soon after implantation bleeding you can test covers the timing.

Threatened miscarriage means vaginal bleeding in the first half of pregnancy with the cervix still closed and a viable pregnancy on scan; about half of these continue to a healthy birth. Management is usually conservative — reassurance, rest if you want it (though bed rest does not improve outcomes), and follow-up scans. If you want to understand the full range of outcomes, our guide on the types of miscarriage and recovery explains each one.

Molar pregnancy, while uncommon, is somewhat more frequent in South Asian women than in Western populations. It is an abnormal pregnancy where placental tissue grows abnormally without a viable fetus, often presenting with bleeding, severe nausea, very high beta-hCG, and a "snowstorm" appearance on ultrasound. Treatment is suction evacuation of the uterus followed by careful beta-hCG monitoring, because a small percentage progress to a treatable condition called gestational trophoblastic neoplasia. Our detailed guide to molar pregnancy and beta-hCG monitoring explains the follow-up, which must be followed strictly.

Late-pregnancy bleeding is a separate matter. In the second and third trimesters, any bleeding is taken more seriously because it can reflect placenta-related conditions, cervical changes, or labour. If you are visibly pregnant and bleed, contact your obstetrician without waiting. The threshold for evaluation in pregnancy is always lower than when you are not pregnant.

Hormonal contraception is one of the most common reasons for unexpected spotting, especially in the first three months after starting a new method. Combined oral contraceptive pills can cause breakthrough bleeding as the lining adjusts to the new hormone pattern, particularly if pills are missed or taken at inconsistent times. Progestin-only pills, the implant, the DMPA injection, and the hormonal IUD are all linked to irregular bleeding early on. For many women this settles within three to six months; for others it persists and may prompt a switch. Our full guide on spotting on birth control covers each method in turn.

The mechanism varies by method. Combined pills create a stable, thin lining, so spotting usually means a missed dose or a lining that has not yet settled. Progestin-only pills work mainly by thickening cervical mucus and have less consistent effects on the lining, so breakthrough bleeding is more common, especially in the first six months. The hormonal IUD (Mirena, Kyleena) releases levonorgestrel locally — many women have irregular spotting for the first three to six months before periods become very light or stop. The implant and DMPA injection have the most unpredictable bleeding, which can persist throughout use in some women.

The copper IUD is hormone-free but commonly causes heavier, longer periods and can also produce intermenstrual spotting in some women. The hormonal IUD, by contrast, usually causes very light periods or none at all after the first six months, though the transition phase often includes spotting. If you are weighing the two, our copper versus Mirena comparison lays out the trade-offs. Emergency contraception taken once can also cause irregular bleeding in that cycle, and even a single missed pill at the start or end of a pack can trigger breakthrough bleeding.

For a doctor, the key question is whether the spotting fits the expected pattern for the method or whether something else is going on. Spotting in the first few months on a new method, with no other concerning features, is usually managed with reassurance and observation. Spotting that starts much later — after a method has been stable for a long time — or that comes with pain, foul-smelling discharge, or post-coital bleeding deserves evaluation for infection, polyps, or IUD displacement. Women using IUDs should be checked promptly for any sudden new bleeding, pain, or fever, as expulsion or infection can occur.

An India-specific issue: many women start contraception on a chemist's or relative's advice rather than after a proper consultation, so side effects like spotting are never explained. If breakthrough bleeding persists, a gynaecologist can confirm whether it is method-related or a separate problem, and may adjust the dose, change the formulation, switch the method, or investigate further. Before changing methods entirely, ask whether a dose adjustment or simply waiting a little longer for your body to adapt might solve it.

Bleeding after sex — post-coital bleeding — is a specific pattern of spotting that deserves attention. It can range from a few drops afterwards to more noticeable bleeding that lasts for hours. The most common causes are cervical ectropion (a benign condition where the soft inner cervical cells sit on the outer surface and bleed easily), cervical polyps, vaginal dryness (especially around menopause), vaginitis, sexually transmitted infections such as chlamydia, and trauma from too little lubrication or vigorous sex. Less commonly but more importantly, it can be an early sign of cervical pre-cancer or cervical cancer. Our dedicated guide on bleeding after sex covers all of this in depth.

Cervical ectropion is the most common benign cause. It happens when columnar cells from the cervical canal extend onto the outer cervix, where they are more fragile and bleed on contact. It is more common in adolescents, women on combined pills, and pregnant women. It is not a disease, does not turn into cancer, and usually needs no treatment unless symptoms bother you. Cervical polyps are soft, finger-like growths from the cervical canal that can also bleed on contact; they are usually benign and can be removed easily in an outpatient setting.

Because cervical cancer is still one of the leading cancer killers of Indian women, the bar for evaluating post-coital bleeding is deliberately low. Guidance from bodies such as ACOG and RCOG recommends that any persistent or unexplained bleeding after sex be assessed with a careful pelvic and speculum exam, plus a Pap smear or HPV test if screening is not up to date. Screening in India is uneven and many women have never had a test. If you have post-coital bleeding and have never been screened, this is the moment to start — and our calm walk-through of your first Pap smear explains exactly what to expect. The single most effective long-term protection is the HPV vaccine.

STIs that cause post-coital bleeding need targeted treatment and partner notification. Chlamydia and gonorrhoea are the two most common bacterial STIs causing cervicitis with contact bleeding. Both are often silent and are detected with a NAAT (nucleic acid amplification test) on a urine or vaginal swab. Treatment is straightforward, but treating the partner and re-testing are essential to prevent reinfection. Trichomoniasis can also inflame the vaginal walls so they bleed easily.

Vaginal dryness, especially in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women, can be managed with lubricants, moisturisers, or vaginal oestrogen depending on the situation. Vaginal oestrogen cream works well for the dryness and tissue thinning of menopause and can substantially reduce post-coital bleeding due to atrophy. Rough sex or insufficient foreplay can cause superficial trauma that heals on its own, but recurrent bleeding after sex should never simply be assumed to be trauma without ruling out other causes.

A practical rule: a single light episode after a particularly vigorous or dry encounter, in a woman with normal recent cervical screening and no other symptoms, can usually be observed. Recurrent post-coital bleeding, or any such bleeding in a woman whose cervical screening is overdue or never done, should be evaluated by a gynaecologist. A speculum exam takes only minutes. The social discomfort around pelvic examinations in India often delays this, but normalising the procedure is a genuine public-health priority because cervical cancer prevention depends on it.

Perimenopause — the years leading up to menopause — is a time of big hormonal swings. Oestrogen and progesterone rise and fall unpredictably, ovulation becomes erratic, and cycles often turn irregular. Spotting between periods is common in this phase, as are heavier or lighter bleeds, longer or shorter cycles, and skipped periods followed by a heavy one. For women in their forties used to decades of predictable cycles, this can be disorienting. Perimenopause typically lasts four to eight years before the final period. Our guide to perimenopause in Indian women explains why it often starts earlier here than in the West.

The challenge is that hormonal irregularity is expected — but so is a rising risk of endometrial polyps, fibroids, endometrial hyperplasia, and, less commonly, endometrial cancer. ACOG and RCOG both recommend that abnormal uterine bleeding in women over 45 be evaluated, usually with a transvaginal ultrasound and often an endometrial biopsy if the lining is thickened or other risk factors are present. Risk factors for endometrial cancer include obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, PCOS, late menopause, never having given birth, and long-term unopposed oestrogen. Many Indian women carry several of these, so perimenopausal spotting should not be casually dismissed.

Evaluation usually involves a careful history (cycle pattern, contraception, hormone therapy, medications), a pelvic exam, a transvaginal ultrasound, and sometimes endometrial sampling. The ultrasound looks at endometrial thickness, polyps, fibroids, and the ovaries. An endometrial biopsy — often done in the clinic with a thin Pipelle device — samples the lining for the lab. These are widely available in Indian gynaecology practice and are not very invasive, though they can be briefly uncomfortable.

Once serious causes are ruled out, irregular perimenopausal bleeding can be managed medically: cyclical progestogen, combined pills (in non-smokers without contraindications), the levonorgestrel IUD (Mirena), tranexamic acid for heavy episodes, and NSAIDs for cramping. The choice depends on your age, symptoms, contraceptive needs, and other conditions. If you still need contraception through this stage, our guide to contraception in perimenopause covers the options. Hormone replacement therapy is structured differently and is generally for women who have reached menopause or have very symptomatic hot flushes.

If you are in perimenopause with a new bleeding pattern, do not assume "it's just hormones." Most of the time it will turn out to be benign variation — but confirming that is itself protective. Postmenopausal bleeding, meaning any bleeding 12 or more months after your last period, is a separate category and is treated as cancer until proven otherwise, which we cover next.

A note for Indian women in this stage: perimenopause is poorly discussed at home and at work, and many navigate it alone on vague advice or random supplements. If your cycle is changing, your bleeding is unpredictable, or your periods are heavier or lighter than usual, you deserve clinical guidance rather than guesswork. The Indian Menopause Society and FOGSI both publish guidelines that good gynaecologists follow.

Once you have gone 12 consecutive months without a period, you are postmenopausal. Any vaginal bleeding after that — no matter how light, how brief, how brown, or how minimal — is considered abnormal and must be evaluated. This is one of the most important messages in women's health, and it is not widely understood in India. Too many postmenopausal women see a brown smear on toilet paper, blame hormones or heat, and ignore it for months, when some have an early, very treatable cancer.

The reason for this strict rule is that endometrial cancer is the most common gynaecological cancer in postmenopausal women, and bleeding is its earliest and most common symptom. Roughly 1 in 10 postmenopausal women with bleeding turns out to have endometrial cancer, and more have endometrial hyperplasia, a pre-cancerous thickening. Other causes include endometrial or cervical polyps, atrophic vaginitis (thinning of the vaginal walls from low oestrogen), infections, and trauma. Even when the cause is benign, it is the evaluation that confirms it. Our guide on endometrial cancer warning signs explains what to watch for after 40.

Standard evaluation includes a careful history, a speculum exam of the cervix and vagina, a transvaginal ultrasound to measure endometrial thickness, and endometrial sampling if the lining is thick (typically more than 4 mm) or other concerning features are present. ACOG and RCOG both endorse this approach. If the lining is under 4 mm with no other red flags, the risk of cancer is very low (under 1%) and clinical follow-up may be enough without a biopsy. If the lining is thick or irregular, or bleeding recurs, a hysteroscopy with directed biopsy is the gold standard for spotting focal lesions like polyps and small cancers.

Atrophic vaginitis is a very common and highly treatable cause of postmenopausal spotting — and no reason to wait. The thinned, dry vaginal walls bleed easily on minor contact or even spontaneously. Vaginal oestrogen (creams, tablets, or rings) restores tissue health within weeks and usually resolves the spotting, with minimal systemic absorption. But you only reach that reassuring diagnosis by being evaluated first. Uterine polyps are another common, usually benign cause that nonetheless needs checking after menopause.

The practical rule: if you are postmenopausal and you bleed, you call a gynaecologist this week, not next month. Do not assume it is from medication, heat, stress, or old age. The workup is straightforward and often gives a reassuring answer — but in the cases where it does not, early action makes all the difference. Early-stage endometrial cancer is highly curable with surgery alone; advanced disease needs far more aggressive treatment. A clinic visit now is far better than a much harder treatment later.

Infections of the reproductive tract can cause spotting, sometimes as the only symptom. Chlamydia and gonorrhoea, the two most common bacterial STIs, can cause cervicitis (inflammation of the cervix), and one of its classic symptoms is intermenstrual or post-coital bleeding. Many women with chlamydia have no symptoms at all, which is why screening is recommended in sexually active women under 25 and in those with new or multiple partners. Bacterial vaginosis and trichomoniasis can also occasionally cause light bleeding alongside their more typical discharge symptoms.

Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) is an upper-tract infection that often follows an untreated lower-tract STI. It can cause irregular bleeding, lower abdominal pain, fever, deep pain during sex, and abnormal discharge. PID is serious: untreated infection can scar the fallopian tubes and lead to chronic pelvic pain, ectopic pregnancy, and infertility. Any spotting with lower abdominal pain, fever, or unusual discharge deserves prompt evaluation. Treatment is with combination antibiotics, often started before culture results because delay risks tubal damage.

Vaginal infections — yeast, bacterial vaginosis, and trichomoniasis — can inflame the vaginal walls so they bleed easily on contact, especially during or after sex. The blood is usually minimal and mixed with abnormal discharge, and the underlying infection is usually obvious from other symptoms such as itching, odour, or a change in discharge colour. Treating the infection usually resolves the bleeding. Both yeast and BV are common in India and often self-treated incorrectly, so persistent symptoms should be evaluated properly. If you are unsure what you have, our guide to telling apart a yeast infection, UTI, and BV can help.

Genital tuberculosis is uncommon in Western populations but is an important consideration in India, where TB is endemic. Genital TB can cause irregular bleeding, infertility, chronic pelvic pain, and absent periods, and is often diagnosed late because the symptoms are vague and suspicion is low. If you have a history of TB, live in a high-burden area, have had close contact with a TB patient, or have unexplained chronic pelvic symptoms that are not settling, genital TB should be considered. Diagnosis combines examination, ultrasound, endometrial biopsy, and PCR or culture for the bacteria.

A wider India point: STIs are often under-diagnosed because of stigma, lack of routine screening, and a tendency to treat without testing. If you are sexually active with unexplained intermenstrual or post-coital bleeding, ask your doctor about STI testing. The tests are not particularly expensive and can find treatable infections that, left alone, cause serious long-term problems. Treating the partner and re-testing are just as important for full resolution.

Structural changes in the uterus and cervix are a major category of intermenstrual bleeding. Endometrial polyps are soft growths from the uterine lining that can cause irregular bleeding, intermenstrual spotting, post-coital bleeding (if they protrude through the cervix), or heavy periods. They are usually benign but should be removed if symptomatic, especially in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women, where the small risk of malignant change is higher. Diagnosis is by transvaginal ultrasound or saline sonohysterography, and removal is by hysteroscopic polypectomy.

Cervical polyps are similar growths from the cervical canal and often cause post-coital spotting; they are usually removed easily in an outpatient setting and sent to the lab to confirm they are benign. They are common in women in their forties and fifties and can recur after removal.

Uterine fibroids are common benign muscle growths of the uterus. Depending on size and location they can cause heavy periods, intermenstrual bleeding, pelvic pressure, and pain. Submucous fibroids — those bulging into the uterine cavity — are especially likely to cause abnormal bleeding. Fibroids are very common in Indian women and are usually found on pelvic ultrasound; management ranges from watchful waiting to medical therapy (tranexamic acid, hormonal options) to surgery (myomectomy, hysterectomy) depending on symptoms and reproductive plans.

Adenomyosis is a condition where endometrial-type tissue grows within the muscular wall of the uterus, causing heavy, painful periods and sometimes intermenstrual spotting. It is usually diagnosed on ultrasound or MRI and is more common in women over 30 who have had children. Management options include hormonal therapy (often the Mirena IUD), pain management, and, in severe cases, hysterectomy. It often coexists with fibroids and endometriosis.

Endometrial hyperplasia is a thickening of the lining caused by oestrogen without enough progesterone to balance it. It is more common with PCOS, obesity, diabetes, and around perimenopause. It can cause irregular bleeding and, importantly, can progress to endometrial cancer if untreated — particularly the atypical subtype. Diagnosis needs endometrial sampling. Simple hyperplasia without atypia is often treated with progestogens, while complex atypical hyperplasia often needs a hysterectomy because of the high progression risk.

The diagnostic workup for these causes typically includes transvaginal ultrasound and, in selected cases, saline sonohysterography (where fluid is instilled into the uterus to outline polyps and fibroids better), hysteroscopy, or endometrial biopsy. Treatment depends on the specific finding, your age, your symptoms, and your reproductive plans. The takeaway: recurrent intermenstrual spotting, especially with heavy periods or pelvic pressure, should not be assumed to be "just hormones" — structural causes are common and identifiable.

When you present with spotting, a doctor will ask about the timing and pattern of bleeding, the volume and colour, any link to sex or to your cycle, your sexual and contraceptive history, pregnancy status, any recent gynaecological procedures, your menopause status, and general health including weight, diabetes, and thyroid problems. A pelvic exam with speculum visualisation of the cervix is standard. Beyond that, the workup is tailored to the suspected cause. For an overview of when changes in your cycle warrant a visit, see our guide on abnormal periods and when to see a doctor.

Common first-line investigations include a urine or serum pregnancy test (if pregnancy is possible), a Pap smear or HPV test if cervical screening is overdue, STI screening if indicated, a transvaginal ultrasound to assess the uterus and ovaries, and sometimes blood tests for thyroid function, a complete blood count, and hormones. In specific situations, saline sonohysterography, hysteroscopy, endometrial biopsy, or referral may follow. These investigations are widely available across India at diagnostic chains and hospital outpatient departments.

See a doctor the same day for any of these red flags:

If the cause is uncertain and bleeding is persistent rather than urgent, book a gynaecology appointment soon rather than waiting it out:

The overall principle is to match urgency to context. A single episode of mid-cycle spotting in a young, healthy, non-pregnant woman with regular cycles can usually be observed. The same symptom in a postmenopausal woman, a pregnant woman, or someone with risk factors for endometrial cancer should be evaluated promptly. Indian women often delay because of embarrassment, cost worries, or family pressure — but the cost and discomfort of a workup are almost always far less than the cost of a missed diagnosis.

It is also worth knowing what a doctor will not necessarily do. Not every spotting episode needs every test. A young woman with a clear mid-cycle pattern and no other symptoms may need only reassurance and a basic exam; a woman with breakthrough bleeding on a newly started contraceptive may need only a review of her method. Good doctors investigate enough to rule out serious causes but no more, to limit both cost and unnecessary anxiety from incidental findings.

Finally, follow-up matters. If symptoms persist, change, or worsen after a workup, go back. A normal ultrasound today does not rule out a polyp that develops later, and a normal Pap smear does not give lifelong immunity. In India, FOGSI broadly follows international guidance: a Pap smear every three years from age 21, or HPV testing every five years from age 30, adjusted by prior results.

• ACOG — Abnormal Uterine Bleeding (FAQ)
• ACOG — Perimenopausal Bleeding and Bleeding After Menopause
• NHS — Vaginal bleeding (irregular periods and bleeding between periods)
• NHS — Postmenopausal bleeding
• RCOG — Postmenopausal bleeding (patient information)
• WHO — Cervical cancer
• FOGSI (Federation of Obstetric and Gynaecological Societies of India)