Last week, a girl left a message for Xiao Jiu in the comments section:
"Xiao Jiu, um, my period just ended a week ago, but I've been bleeding a little on my underwear for the past few days. It's not a lot , but what's going on? Could you write an article about it? Thank you so much!"
Besides this netizen, Xiao Jiu discovered that many women around her have also experienced ovulation bleeding. Compared to the usual menstrual bleeding, the occasional spotting of blood on underwear during ovulation, when bleeding shouldn't occur, can cause some panic among women who are unfamiliar with the situation.
To help everyone understand it better, today, Xiao Jiu has specially invited Dr. Qiang Sufeng, an attending physician in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Tongji University Affiliated Oriental Hospital, to give us a detailed explanation of "ovulation bleeding".
"Ovulation bleeding, also known as intermenstrual bleeding, is bleeding that occurs between two regular menstrual periods. Generally, after ruling out gynecological diseases of the endometrium or cervix that cause bleeding of the endometrium during ovulation, bleeding during ovulation is a normal physiological phenomenon for women," Dr. Qiang explained.
Ovulation bleeding is usually caused by a temporary drop in estrogen levels due to ovulation, which causes some women's uterine lining to lose estrogen support, resulting in endometrial shedding and regular vaginal bleeding.
Ovulation bleeding mainly occurs about 7-8 days after a woman's menstrual period ends, which is what many women commonly refer to as "the return of menstruation." Furthermore, compared to menstrual flow, ovulation bleeding is very light and generally lasts no more than 7 days.
To prevent gynecological diseases from harming the body, Dr. Qiang emphasized that women experiencing ovulation bleeding who have not yet been examined at the hospital must first go for a check-up. If the bleeding is caused by a pathological reason, timely treatment is necessary; if it is only due to physiological factors, then the ovulation bleeding can be allowed to stop on its own.
Although ovulation bleeding doesn't have a significant impact on a woman's health, the occasional bloodstains on underwear after menstruation can still be quite bothersome.
So, how can we reduce ovulation bleeding?
Dr. Qiang told Xiao Jiu that if bleeding only occurs once or twice a year and does not affect daily life, women can leave it untreated. However, if ovulation bleeding occurs for two or three consecutive cycles, affecting the patient's work and life, it is recommended to take short-acting birth control pills , which can suppress ovulation, reduce hormonal fluctuations, and thus alleviate the bleeding.
For most women of childbearing age, ovulation bleeding is largely related to their irregular lifestyle .
"During our consultations, we've found that many female patients experience ovulation bleeding due to excessive busyness with studies or work, resulting in disrupted sleep schedules. They often sleep during the day and work late into the night, and their meals are irregular, leading to health problems," Dr. Qiang explained.
Irregular sleep patterns and diets can be very harmful to a woman's body. In addition to potentially causing ovulation bleeding, they can also easily lead to other gynecological diseases. Therefore, it is very important to develop regular sleep patterns, exercise regularly, and maintain a balanced diet.
A woman's ovulation period is the best time to conceive. Whether or not one can have sex during ovulation bleeding, and whether it will affect conception, is a question that many people are concerned about.
Dr. Qiang stated that for couples who are eager to have a child, intercourse is still possible during ovulation bleeding, provided good hygiene is maintained. However, if there is no urgent desire to conceive, it is best to avoid sexual intercourse during ovulation bleeding.
When a woman experiences ovulation bleeding, pelvic congestion, a looser cervix, and weakened reproductive resistance occur. During intercourse under these conditions, the man can easily introduce bacteria into the woman's vagina, disrupting the normal acidic environment and causing dysbiosis, leading to gynecological infections such as trichomoniasis and yeast infections.
"In fact, whether it's menstrual bleeding or ovulation bleeding, it's best to temporarily stop having sex , because having intercourse during this period greatly increases the risk of bacterial infection, leading to gynecological diseases, and may even affect a woman's ability to conceive," Dr. Qiang emphasized.
Finally, if the bleeding is normal ovulation bleeding, it generally won't affect conception. However, some couples may temporarily stop having sex due to health concerns, thus missing the optimal time to conceive. In this case, women can follow their doctor's advice and try lifestyle changes and medication to manage the bleeding.
After listening to Dr. Qiang's explanation, ladies, can you finally breathe a sigh of relief? It turns out that ovulation bleeding is just a minor issue and doesn't have much impact on your health.
However, please remember that this is only true after ruling out gynecological diseases . Therefore, women experiencing ovulation bleeding should first go to the hospital for a check-up to find the cause before considering any treatment options.
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