Women Only: After Sex Bleeding

Bleeding after sex is one topic that is hardly discussed. But this is a relatively common occurrence that some women may experience at one point or another in their lives. Finding out that you are bleeding after sexual intercourse can be quite frightening for a woman and her partner.


The causes of post sex bleeding can range from being simple something serious and the sooner you can find out the cause of your bleeding, the better off you will be.

The GoodLife spoke with a gynecologist, Dr Aina Olusegun ,who notes that  it is very important to take a look at the possible causes bleeding after sex. He emphasized that it is important to know that it is wrong to make a diagnosis for this kind of problem on one’s own because sometimes when you think you know exactly the reason for bleeding ,a doctor should always give the final say on the reason, and the treatment, of post sex bleeding.

According to Olusegun, the most common reasons women experience post sex bleeding is because of a sexually transmitted disease, adding that gonorrhea and Chlamydia are both notorious for leading to bleeding during and after sex because they can cause inflammation. There is no need to panic because even if bleeding is as a result of STDs, they are easily treated with antibiotics, he said.

Explaining further, the gynecologist, said that trichomoniasis is another disease that can cause sexual bleeding. The disease is usually transmitted during sexual intercourse, but because a protozoan causes it, it actually can live and be transmitted via hot tubs, swimming pools, urine and even tap water, he said.

Again, yeast infections are also behind a lot of cases of bleeding after sexual intercourse, hesaid. “If you know you have a yeast infection, it is best to abstain from sex until it clears up because yeast infection can easily be transmitted to your partner who can then re-infect you the next time you have sex, and back and forth”. Sometimes a condom can help in the transmission of yeast infections during sex though not always, but even when using a condom, bleeding after sex when you have a yeast infection is very common, he said.

Another reason why a woman might experience bleeding after sex could be due to the presence of uterine and cervical polyps. You may not know if you have either of these until you visit the hospital. Cervical polyps are easier to deal with because they extend out from the cervix far enough that can be easily removed by a doctor. These kinds of polyps are usually painless and shows no symptom. Uterine polyps require a little bit more attention. They can cause spotting and cramping between periods and may need to be removed surgically. Both kinds of polyps are benign in most cases and hardly cancerous.

One other silent cause of post sex bleeding is fibroid tumors within the uterus. Again, it is very possible you will know you have fibroid unless one sees a doctor and probably do a scan because they are usually symptom- free and almost always benign, he said. In some cases, these tumors are removed surgically, and sometimes they are left alone. However, if you have fibroid tumors, you cannot take birth control pills, as the estrogen will feed the tumors, he warned.

Although relatively rare, vaginal tearing can also cause post sex bleeding. If a woman experiences some kind of tearing during intercourse, she should seek immediate medical attention, because she may be bleeding internally as well which if unchecked could be fatal, he advised.