Why do I bleed during intercourse? Here are some of the frequently asked questions about bleeding during intercourse.
- Is bleeding during intercourse normal?
- Does vaginal or cervical cancer cause bleeding during sex?
- Why does it occur during intercourse that occur in premenopausal and menopausal women?
- What causes painful bleeding during sexual intercourse?
- What happens if a person bleeds inside you?
Bleeding can occur after sex but this post highlights more on the one that occurs during intercourse.
Why bleeding during sexual intercourse may occur
Read on to get insightful and informational tips and facts about bleeding while having sex.
Cervical polyps
Cervical polyps bleed easily when touched because they are fragile. Bleeding during penetration from women with polyps in the cervical opening is uncommon but can occur sometimes since they are fragile.
However, if it occurs after penetration or intercourse is common if your cervix has developed these benign bumps or growths
Generally, bleeding during or after having sex in adult females is normal considering that Nabothian cysts are quite a normal feature of the cervix?
Nonetheless, polyps in the cervix can prompt bleeding during intercourse a week after periods or when your monthly period is not near. In other words, that is to say, when you are sure you have no period and your next menstrual cycle is not round the corner. Bleeding could be heavier without periods.
In addition, polyps also account for irregular periods since the problem can potentially cause bleeding between your monthly periods. This bleeding that comes with cervical polyps can be experienced as postmenopausal effects or after menopause.
Cervical polyps can become infected.
Diagnosis, exams, and treatment or removal of polyps
In most cases, polyps are discovered when you have regular pelvic exams or during the Pap test.
After an examination in the lab, surgery is required when removing cervical polyps. “Sometimes a polyp will come off on its own during sexual intercourse or menstruation.” Harvard Medical School notes.
Antibacterial medicines are used if there is an indication that you have an infected polyp.
Endometriosis
Endometriosis is a condition affecting reproductive parts in which the lining of the uterus grows outside. If the tissue reaches the cervix or inner vagina, it is possible for a woman to bleed during or after sexual intercourse.
Common symptoms of endometriosis include
- Pain during sexual intercourse or after
- Muscle spasms in the pelvic floor after such an experience (pain during or after sex)
- Premenstrual bleeding
- Bleeding longer than normal (even without having sex)
- Bloating
- Anxiety and depression or change in mood
There is no exact reason why the uterus lining (endometrium) grows in this manner. A good number of factors may account for the occurrence of endometriosis.
- Getting pregnancy at an older age for the first time
- Heavy bleeding during a period or unusually early period at teenage
- Shorter regular menstrual cycles
- Blood with endometrial cells flowing back to the fallopian tubes
- Metaplasia
- Family history can also factor in
Whenever you suspect to have endometriosis or familiarize yourself with such symptoms, see your medic urgently.
Broken cervical blood vessels
Bleeding during intercourse can also indicate ruptured blood vessels in the cervical canal. This problem requires you see a gynecologist first before you go for treatment.
Dry vagina
Another possible cause for mild spotting during intercourse is dryness in the vagina. It causes pain and is generally accompanied with vaginal discomfort.
IMPORTANT: Do not get used to lubricating products. It may not be your ultimate solution to this problem at large. Instead, see your gynecologist for help on how to deal with it.
When it occurs penis during sexual intercourse
Men can also experience penile bleeding while having sex with their female partners. Depending on what causes it, blood may originate from the inner parts or from the outer areas of the penis. It can also cause pain.
Here are the reasons and a possible way out or treatment.
The tight or torn frenulum
The frenulum is a small skin tag (between the foreskin and penile shaft) which is located on the underside. This structure can become tight with sexual arousing and stimulation hence can be worn during penetration.
Symptoms of pain as you are making love are obvious. Other symptoms may be phimosis ejaculatory or unable to ejaculate totally and health-related problems such as bothersome cleaning of the genitals.
Who is at risk? Uncircumcised boys and men can find this to be a problem (though not always). The frenulum tearing may not heal on its own at times. Therefore, bleeding can occur or tear happens repeatedly (whether you are circumcised or not).
Treatment
If bleeding from your penis due to a torn frenulum occurs repeatedly, both of you should plan and book an appointment to talk to your personal doctor or a gynecologist in detail.
Secondly, if you are not circumcised then you are advised to go for clinical operations (as opposed to traditional methods of circumcision). The last option is a surgical treatment in which the frenulum can be freed (the medical term for this surgery is frenuloplasty).
Inflammatory infections including STDs
Secondly, if you experience a painful ejaculation the urinary tract may be infected. Inflammation of the prostate could also result in bleeding during sex especially if you have more than one sexual partner.
Inflammation can be caused by either bacteria or viruses after infection occurs.
What happens if a guy bleeds inside you while or after ejaculation? If bleeding occurs, bloodstains would be present during a male or female orgasm as the blood could be mixed with serum. If he has an active infection, which is an STD, you are at risk of infection. See your personal doctor immediately for medical advice.
Other causes
In addition to our discussion, there are other factors that account for vaginal or penile bleeding during sex or shortly after sex.
- Vaginal injury
- Penile trauma
- Use of lubricating products to alleviate vaginal conditions such as atrophic vaginitis or dryness before intercourse
- An infection in the prostate glands that produce sperms. If a guy bleeds, his serum mixes with blood.
- A tear in the prostate vein. Some partners can notice blood mixed with semen during after penetration or ejaculation.
- Cervical erosion. Although common in pregnancy, mild bleeding would occur if the penis touches a woman’s cervix during penetration.
Facts about vaginal bleeding and IUD
Does bleeding during intercourse mean there is a problem with your IUD?
An intrauterine device has plastic threads that hang partly into the vagina and these do not interfere with penile penetration or raise concerns during sexual intercourse. This device is normally inserted during monthly periods.
Use of an intrauterine device, IUD, is one of the effective and safe birth control means. However, the use of IUD is not a guarantee against an infection of STDs. STDs associated with inflammation can cause pain during sex or lead to bleeding during monthly periods and especially after sex.
Notably, severe bleeding during monthly periods does not only signify an irregularity but also may mean you have a health-related problem such as an STD symptom.
Advice on UID and related problems
If you are on your periods and feel something has gone wrong with your UID placement, please undertake the following measures with prompt:
- Ask for help about a procedure for checking your UID
- See your GP who will check for you
Do the following if you experience abdominal pain, bleeding after sex or foul-smelling discharge.
- Go for pregnancy tests
- Seek clinical support or advice about UID care
- Go for diagnosis
Is it a sign of cancer?
Symptoms of early cervical cancer are not easily detectable but as cancer cells grow, new blood vessels are made. Unlike the normal blood vessels, cancer cells in these blood vessels can make them rapture or break easily.
One of the symptoms of cervical cancer is abnormal bleeding which is more often, after sexual intercourse. Therefore, with cervical or vaginal cancer it is not normal for bleeding to occur during intercourse.
If the cancer cells outgrow the blood cells, they can spread from the cervix to the pelvic wall tissue causing more damage. This means that the body’s defensive mechanism goes down and it is prone to secondary infections.
Anyone who is sexually active is at risk. Although, the exact cause of cervical cancer is not well known, there are risk factors strongly linked to its occurrence. One of them is HPV.
More importantly, like any type or form of skin cancer, cervical cancer is deadly. Its global awareness is on radar and the best time is now only. If you have not yet made up your mind, it is high time you start going for screening or cancer tests.
When to see a specialist
If you start bleeding with pain during orgasm or abnormality like bloody discharge after orgasm, please see a specialist.