If you are on hormonal birth control, especially a progestin-only method like the IUD or implant, spotting is a very common side effect. Unfortunately, it can be hard to predict when or if spotting will occur. If you’re on hormonal birth control and the spotting is driving you nuts, talk to your doctor or midwife, as there are a few things you can use to try and treat it. Sometimes you can take a few months of estrogen-containing hormonal birth control pills to try and re-regulate bleeding. The estrogen helps to stabilize the lining of your uterus, so taking them reduces spotting. There are even supplements designed for this exact thing which is specifically designed for hormone regulation. If pills aren’t your thing, you can also use a hormonal birth control patch or ring for a few cycles until things even out. It could also go away on its own as your body gets used to the new hormone levels- so if you’d rather wait it out, that’s totally fair! (2)

In the absence of hormonal birth control, spotting can also be a symptom of something more serious, like ectopic pregnancy, polyp, an untreated STI/STD, Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID), cervicitis, dysplasia, or cervical cancer. The reasons being that inflammation in the uterus or cervix can cause light bleeding that may come out looking like spotting. If your spotting is accompanied by a fever, lower abdominal pain, or unusual vaginal discharge, that could indicate a more serious infection- so give your doctor a call. (2)

Sometimes a UTI can also cause some bleeding from the urethra, which can look identical to vaginal spotting (3). Spotting in early pregnancy is also very common. This is called implantation bleeding, and it occurs after a fertilized egg implants itself into the uterine wall and a hormonal shift occurs. (4) However, if you’re pregnant and you notice spotting, it’s always a good idea to call your OB/GYN or midwife and let them know.