Vaginal discharge is a normal occurrence throughout a woman's menstrual cycle. Some women experience transparent, stretchy, or watery discharge close to ovulation. Others have a brown discharge following their period, which has several different causes. Brown discharge may simply be the vagina ridding of any excess blood, or it may be something more serious like the sexually transmitted disease gonorrhea. It is always beneficial to consult your gynecologist.

Causes of Brown Discharge after Period

A delayed period may lead to brown discharge during and after menstruation. A common cause is the endometrial tissue being discharged from the body. Excess endometrial tissue that did not exit the body during your period can be expelled in the form of red or dark brown discharge after it. This is a normal cleansing process of the uterus and is not cause for concern.

However, brown discharge could indicate damage to the reproductive system - a much more serious health issue that requires medical attention. Implantation bleeding or spotting after a woman conceives may also appear as dark red or brown discharge. If the brownish bloody spotting occurs mere days after unprotected sexual intercourse and within about two weeks from your last period, you may be pregnant. A pregnancy test should be taken.

Other Causes of Discharge after Period

The following causes would result in a number of other symptoms in addition to brown discharge.

Yeast Infection - The Candida albicans fungus is responsible for yeast infections. Yeast is present in moist areas of the body. Yeast vulvitis and yeast vaginitis are two common forms. These yeast infections are characterized by inflammation of the vagina and the external genital organs. Yeast infections are caused by an overgrowth of vaginal yeast. It is not sexually transmitted. Symptoms include vaginal itching, pain during intercourse, burning, soreness, and thick, white, odorless discharge resembling cottage cheese. The white discharge may turn yellow or light brown once expelled from vagina to the undergarments. Yeast infections may be treated with antifungal medication and oral medications.

Bacterial Vaginosis (BV) - BV occurs due to an imbalance of bacteria in the vagina. Brown vaginal discharge accompanied by a foul, fishy odor is the most common symptom of BV. The risk of BV increases with douching, having multiple sexual partners, use of a contraceptive intrauterine devices, and smoking cigarettes. While BV is not contagious, bacteria may be spread through sexual intercourse, thereby potentially predisposing someone to a bacterial imbalance. Antibiotics are prescribed for women affected with BV.

Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID) - PID is a disease affecting a woman's reproductive organs. PID may be caused by Chlamydia trachomatis or Neisseria gonorrhea. Infertility is a significant risk for women with PID. PID may cause such symptoms as heavy vaginal discharge, irregular menstrual bleeding, pain during sexual intercourse, abdominal pain, back pain, and pain when passing urine. Antibiotics and pain medications may be prescribed for women with PID.

There are many more causes of brown discharge after your period, including cervical cancer, vaginal warts, Chlamydia, gonorrhea, herpes, and other sexually transmitted diseases. This discharge should not be ignored. Seeking immediate medical attention will facilitate early diagnosis if there are any underlying conditions. Alternatively, ignoring this discharge may exacerbate a serious health threat.

Discussions(11) Add New

  1. Kalinda August 02, 2011 12:37 AM Reply

    Is brown discharge after period normal? This question has been asked by many of us. In recent days, I meet the same problem. My doctor told me that most are normal. The rare cause is Irregular menstrual cycles Cancer of the cervix or uterus. So we have to see a doctor if the brown discharge lasts for a long time.

  2. Seymour September 06, 2011 03:54 AM Reply

    Hi, it is normal. Most of the brown discharge is brown blood after period. It will vanish after several days. If it persists, you should see a doctor.

  3. Leander October 16, 2011 11:45 AM Reply

    Hi, what is the brown discharge after period?

  4. Acanit February 20, 2012 11:05 PM Reply

    Hi, vaginal discharge after period is normal. You can find this article is useful: http://www.clinictime.net/Abnormal-Vaginal-Discharge.html

  5. Saloma February 26, 2012 01:42 AM Reply

    Hi, brown stuff after period cannot be only the “old” blood. It may be due to other problems. You have to see a doctor.

  6. Yardan March 03, 2012 04:35 AM Reply

    I also have brown spotting after period is over. Sometimes it lasts for one day, sometimes it lasts longer. Is it “old” period blood? I hope so.

  7. Fallon June 03, 2012 02:03 PM Reply

    Hi, after my period I have brown discharge. Is it normal?

  8. Clementine June 06, 2012 04:56 PM Reply

    Young lady, don’t get alarmed. You will soon find out your body will do such types of cleaning once a while. Spotting after period ends usually happens days after period, and you can just take it as your body way of clearing out the old cells in the vagina and nothing to do with the usual ovulation. It appears brown because it is ‘old’ blood. As indicated in this article, another explanation for the brown color is that it takes longer for the blood to get excreted from the body, so it turns brown. When this happens, a thin liner would pretty much do the work as the quantity is usually small. I am also skeptical if this can be any symptom of known STD.

  9. Siddharth June 26, 2012 10:00 PM Reply

    Dear, I notice your young age. Believe me you, there are a lot in your body for you to explore in the long road ahead. In the meantime, I am going to give you this peace of mind, there is nothing wrong with you. It is just another delayed discharge and reason it is brown is because it has stayed in the body longer. And no, I have not heard of any STD can induce such brown vaginal discharge after period.

  10. Victoria July 17, 2012 04:37 PM Reply

    Hey, I am 17 female, healthy and have a boyfriend. We do have sex albeit occasionally, but with condom without fail. This morning I woke up with brown spotting after period that was just a week ago. It appeared brownish in color, and really that great amount. What happened? There cannot be another period just 7 days apart. Or could this be a sign of sexually transmitted disease? Please say it isn’t so…

  11. Hannah November 22, 2012 03:28 PM Reply

    Hi, I am very confused at the moment as on day 1 I had very light pink spotting, day 2 there is bleeding (one sanitary towel), day 3 very light bleeding along with very dark brown discharge... I am not too sure if it is my period or the case of spotting it would be really great to hear your thoughts/opinions! many thanks!