2008 Woodie Awards
Tuesdays With Martha
Issue date: 4/4/06 Section: Columns
- Page 1 of 1
Dear Martha,
I just got my period for the second time this month. Is this okay?
Signed, Seeing Red
Dear Red,
Bleeding twice in a month is unsettling as well as annoying. The answer to whether this is okay is a definitive yes and no. Women normally have their menses or period once every 23-35 days. Occasionally, women without any real problem will bleed again when they aren't due for a period. The reason is usually a hormonal shift which can be caused by reasons as varied as travel, weight changes, medications, exercise changes, any number of things that students experience on a regular basis! Usually, your body will kick right back into a normal rhythm once your routine is back.
Women on hormonal birth control (the Pill, Depoprovera, the Ring, the Patch) will often have irregular or breakthrough bleeding particularly in the first few months and sometimes longer. While this is rarely a problem, it certainly is a nuisance so if it persists you will want to talk to your clinician.
On the other hand, there are some things that can cause frequent bleeding that are worth considering. The causes can be vaginal infections, particularly Chlamydia, pregnancy, ectopic pregnancy (a pregnancy that occurs outside the uterus), miscarriage, cervical changes, uterine tumors both benign and cancerous, and trauma. If you have had unsafe sex, or any of the following: a fever, abdominal pain, pain with sex , an abnormal discharge other than the blood, it is worth seeing a health professional to check for infections and if appropriate, rule out pregnancy. Otherwise, it is probably reasonable to see if the bleeding resolves itself and your cycles return to normal within one month.
Later,
Martha
I just got my period for the second time this month. Is this okay?
Signed, Seeing Red
Dear Red,
Bleeding twice in a month is unsettling as well as annoying. The answer to whether this is okay is a definitive yes and no. Women normally have their menses or period once every 23-35 days. Occasionally, women without any real problem will bleed again when they aren't due for a period. The reason is usually a hormonal shift which can be caused by reasons as varied as travel, weight changes, medications, exercise changes, any number of things that students experience on a regular basis! Usually, your body will kick right back into a normal rhythm once your routine is back.
Women on hormonal birth control (the Pill, Depoprovera, the Ring, the Patch) will often have irregular or breakthrough bleeding particularly in the first few months and sometimes longer. While this is rarely a problem, it certainly is a nuisance so if it persists you will want to talk to your clinician.
On the other hand, there are some things that can cause frequent bleeding that are worth considering. The causes can be vaginal infections, particularly Chlamydia, pregnancy, ectopic pregnancy (a pregnancy that occurs outside the uterus), miscarriage, cervical changes, uterine tumors both benign and cancerous, and trauma. If you have had unsafe sex, or any of the following: a fever, abdominal pain, pain with sex , an abnormal discharge other than the blood, it is worth seeing a health professional to check for infections and if appropriate, rule out pregnancy. Otherwise, it is probably reasonable to see if the bleeding resolves itself and your cycles return to normal within one month.
Later,
Martha