Brown spotting after sex

It can be disconcerting to notice brown vaginal discharge in your underwear or when you wipe. It often occurs around the time of your period. Brown discharge is cervical mucus that is tinged with old blood. As blood ages in the body, it turns brown instead of a bright red. The reason for this is that blood oxidizes when exposed to the air. Vaginal discharge is the fluid that comes out of the vagina as a result of the bacteria and fluids secreted by your vaginal cells.

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There comes a time in most women's lives when she looks down at her underwear and wonders, What the actual eff is that?! Okay, maybe that's a little extreme. But weird-colored vaginal discharge can seriously freak you TF out—especially when it's brown. But before you start spiraling, it's probably helpful to know what that brown discharge means , when it's NBD, and when you should see your ob-gyn about it. Vaginal discharge is, basically, mucosal secretions produced by glands in your cervix and walls of your vagina, according to the U.

Some people may worry if their discharge is pinkish-brown, but many different factors can cause this. However, this color of discharge is rarely a cause for concern. In this article, we look at the causes of pinkish-brown vaginal discharge. We also explain what is normal and when to see a doctor.