Vaginal bleeding after sex is common. Although it's often called "vaginal" bleeding, most benign bleeding in younger women comes from the cervix. However other parts of your genital and urinary systems can be involved. Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. Any use of this site constitutes your agreement to the Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy linked below. A single copy of these materials may be reprinted for noncommercial personal use only.

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Chances are that if you're reading this, you've had an unexpected surprise after sex. Postcoital or after sex bleeding can be alarming at first, not to mention a real mood killer. Obviously, there are many different ways to have sex. When talking about postcoital bleeding, we are referring to bleeding that happens after sex when vaginal penetration is involved. Anatomically, the two parts of your body that can bleed from the friction or relative trauma of vaginal sex are your vagina and your cervix. When your vagina bleeds after sex, it's most likely the result of direct trauma to the wall of your vagina. If the vagina is not well lubricated , the friction caused by vaginal penetration can tear the wall of your vagina. Although not common, vaginal lacerations are usually the cause of postcoital bleeding that is heavy enough to bring a woman to the emergency room after sex. The vagina has a rich blood supply and these types of lacerations bleed a lot.
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Back to Women's health. The medical name for this is "postcoital bleeding". If you're concerned because you experience vaginal bleeding after sex, seek advice from your GP or a sexual health clinic genitourinary or GUM clinic. They will ask about your medical history and assess your symptoms. They can then advise you if any treatment is needed.
If you buy something through a link on this page, we may earn a small commission. How this works. Postcoital bleeding refers to genital bleeding after intercourse. The medical community typically uses this term to describe bleeding from the vagina, a fairly common occurrence caused by a wide range of factors. An estimated 0. The friction and abrasion of intercourse can easily cause small tears and cuts in sensitive genital tissues. Childbirth can also cause vaginal tissues to stretch and tear, sometimes making them more vulnerable to injury. On the first occurrence of sexual intercourse, a small flap of vaginal skin called the hymen is often stretched and broken. The minor bleeding this causes can last 1 to 2 days.