Pink Discharge

Most women are very used to seeing the signs of clear or white discharge in their underwear, but sometimes spotting a bit of pink discharge can come as a shock! But what are the reasons, and is there anything to worry about?

Pink discharge is often just a sign that you are beginning your period, so you may find that it appears in the few days before you begin your cycle, as spots of blood become mixed up with the mucus of the discharge, and make it a light pink tone.

Again, pink discharge after a period is normal. It is generally caused by remnants of dead cells and bacteria that weren’t flushed out during your period, being cleared out by the discharge instead. If you experience this, make sure you wear Always liners throughout your period, and then for an extra few days afterwards, to keep yourself clean and dry.

Other reasons to consider for pink discharge

- Beginning a new contraceptive method can temporarily confuse your body, and you may experience blood in your discharge as your body adapts to the new artificial hormones.

• For the same reason, forgetting to take the contraceptive pill for a few days in a row can throw your hormones off kilter, and cause pink discharge.
• If you are pregnant, the body may release a small amount of blood at the time the egg attaches itself to the uterine lining, and this can impact on the colour of your discharge.
• If you have a hormone imbalance – i.e. too much or too little oestrogen, or progesterone – this can lead to pink discharge. Other signs of this are irregular or heavy periods.
• Some women find that after sexual intercourse they have pink discharge, which can be caused by slight bleeding during sex especially if you are using hormone contraception. Slip an Always liner into your underwear for the next few hours, and feel secure that you don’t have to worry about staining.
• A creamy pink discharge known as lochia is often released by the body in the days following childbirth, as blood and tissue is cleared out.

Take yourself for a medical check-up, and make sure everything is in working order.