Girl To Girl

Brown Discharge: What It Means Depending On When You Have It

If you spot brown discharge in your underwear or when you wipe (remember — we're talking discharge here), here's what it could be about...

What does it look like? You might notice brown reddish-brown, or blackish-brown discharge when you go to the bathroom or on your underwear.

Is it a problem? Not necessarily. In fact, some people have brown discharge every menstrual cycle. It tends to happen when your period is winding down or just starting. At this point, there's only a little blood, and it's had time to fade to brown before it comes out. You might also notice it if you have lighter periods, are approaching menopause, or if you use contraception that gives you a lighter flow.

However, if it isn't your norm, it's important to take note. Brown discharge in between periods or instead of what your periods normally look like, can be a sign of problems within the uterus or cervix such as polyps or fibroids; or an STI. Fortunately, these are all usually manageable with the help from a medical professional.

What can you do? If brown discharge isn't normal for you, it happens in between periods, or you have any other symptoms — unpleasant smelling discharge, pain when you pee or have sex, etc. — it's always worth getting it checked out by a medical professional to make sure you're in tip-top health.

Anything else it might be? Potentially. If you spot it around two weeks after ovulation it's a possible sign of pregnancy. When a fertilized egg attaches to the lining of the uterus, it causes a small amount of bleeding. But don't leap to the conclusion that you're pregnant from a little brown discharge alone!