Bleeding Between Periods: How to Care for Your Daughter

Sometimes girls get vaginal bleeding between periods. This can be a small amount (spotting) or a larger amount of blood. Treatment is not always needed. If it is needed, the health care provider can help you decide on the best treatment for your daughter.

• Help your daughter track her periods on a calendar or a smartphone app. She should include:

  • when her period starts and ends

  • the amount of flow each day

  • whether there are any blood clots

  • whether she has cramps or other problems during her period

• Fill any prescriptions and be sure your daughter follows the health care provider's recommendations for taking medicines.

• Call the health care provider or log in to your daughter's electronic medical record (EMR) to get any test results.

• Girls with bleeding between periods can still get pregnant if they have sex. Talk to your daughter about using condoms to protect against pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs, also called sexually transmitted diseases or STDs).

Your daughter:

• continues to bleed between periods

• has signs of heavy bleeding such as:

  • soaking through a pad or tampon every hour

  • needing to use a pad and a tampon at the same time

  • getting up to change a pad or tampon during the night

  • passing blood clots bigger than about 1 inch (2.5 centimeters)

  • bleeding for more than 10 days

Why do girls get bleeding between periods? The most common reasons include:

• hormonal birth control, including birth control pills ("the Pill"), the birth control shot, birth control implant, or an IUD

• normal hormone changes in a girl's period cycle

• STIs

Does bleeding between periods always need treatment? No, it doesn't always need to be treated. For example, if a girl is on hormonal birth control and gets bleeding between periods, the bleeding may stop as her body adjusts to the hormones. But a girl who has bleeding between periods because of an STI needs treatment right away.