Birth control pills are the most effective way to prevent unplanned pregnancies. Birth control pills are hormonal pills that stop the body from ovulating by thickening the cervical mucus to prevent sperm from getting through and changing the uterine lining to prevent implantation of a fertilised egg. The birth control pills, however, have a number of side effects. One of the common side effects that women often complain of is brown vaginal discharge. This article talks about brown discharge, how to prevent it, and when you should consult a doctor.
Birth control pills do cause a brown discharge, but there are several other factors that could lead to a brown discharge in women. Listed below are the factors that could result in brown discharge when on birth control pills:
Most of the time, the brown discharge is nothing but old blood. After your period, the body may expel the remnants of the uterine lining that are still left inside. The iron content in the old blood gets oxygenated to make it appear brown.
In the initial 6 months of taking birth control pills, your body tries to adjust to the hormones in the pills and a consequence of this is spotting or breakthrough bleeding that is brown in colour. The pills affect the amounts of Luteinizing Hormone (LH) and Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) in the body. This makes the uterine lining thinner, and the excess endometrial tissue (inner lining of the uterus) is shed and is expelled as brown discharge.
In some cases, the brown discharge is basically spotting which is a result of very low levels of hormones present in the birth control pills. This is risky as it reduces the effectiveness of the pills. If this is the reason, ask your doctor if the dosage needs to be increased.
Birth control pills work effectively only if they are taken at the same time each day. If you miss taking 1 or 2 pills, your body’s hormonal balance gets upset and results in brown discharge. This is because the endometrium starts thinning again.
The pills usually contain the hormones oestrogen and progestin in varying concentrations. Brown discharge could occur as a side effect if you are sensitive to a specific birth control pill.
Fibroids are non-cancerous growth inside the uterus. These can cause spotting in the form of brown discharge. This can be diagnosed by your doctor using an ultrasound test. Uncommonly heavy periods ending with brown discharge are also a cause for concern as this may be due to uterine fibroids or ovarian cysts. Consult a doctor if you are experiencing such symptoms.
If you are on birth control pills but still ovulating, you may get pregnant. In this case, the cause of brown discharge is implantation bleeding. When a fertilised egg implants itself into the uterine lining, a tiny amount of blood will come out. This spotting may look like brown discharge. If you suspect this, take an early detection home pregnancy test to confirm. Stop your birth control if you are pregnant and call your doctor right away.
Birth control pills suppress ovulation. However, if you miss a dose or the dosage itself is too low, you may ovulate. There is usually brown discharge when you ovulate. This happens 10-14 days prior to your next period. For this, you may need to use a backup method of birth control and speak to your doctor immediately.
Sometimes, brown discharge can be a sign of a vaginal infection or a sexually transmitted infection (STI). It could be bacterial vaginosis, gonorrhoea, or chlamydia. If you have redness, pain, itching, fishy odour, or discomfort in the vaginal area along with brown discharge, consult your doctor immediately.
The pap smear is a cervical smear test performed on women to check for cervical cancer. It involves using a speculum to open the vagina and scraping tissue from the outer opening of the cervix to examine it for cancerous or pre-cancerous cells. In some women, the scraping can cause light bleeding for a few days. This bleeding can appear as a brown discharge.
Brown discharge may be due to various reasons. Here are a few tips to deal with brown discharge:
Here are some ways to prevent brown discharge while on birth control pills:
Although brown vaginal discharge is a common side-effect of birth control pills, there are some instances when the discharge could indicate a serious health problem. You should be seriously concerned if you have a brown discharge in the following circumstances:
When you start taking birth control pills, your body makes adjustments to deal with the extra hormones that the pills contain. Not all women will experience the same side-effects. Some women may have light spotting, some may get their period twice in one cycle, and some may have brown discharge. This is normal; after 6 months, your body gets used to the pills, and spotting or brown discharge will automatically reduce or disappear. However, consult your doctor in case the brown discharge doesn’t clear on its own within a few days.