infections. an infection of the cervix (“cervicitis”) can make the cervix more “friable” (easier to bleed). both gonorrhea and chlamydia can produce bleeding from the cervix. the same infections that infect the cervix can also infect the lining of the uterus. infections of the uterine lining can make it easier to destabilize causing erratic bleeding as well as bleeding after sex. thus an infection can increase the risks for breakthrough bleeding especially among users of hormonal birth control (e. g. pills/evrapatch/nuvaring). fragile tissue on the face of the cervix. in some women there is a normal enlargement of the area of fragile glandular type tissue (“cervical ectopi”). these women can have bleeding even when the cervix is sampled with a pap smear. some common causes of cervical ectopi can include: being a young teenager using birth control pills or being pregnant. polyps. a polyp coming from the cervical canal may bleed only when the cervix is touched. this could include sex toys fingers or a penis. cervical polyps may account for up to 12. 5% of bleeding after sex endometrial polyps or uterine fibroids can create a focus for unstable uterine lining. hormonal status. as anyone who has used hormonal forms of birth control (pill/patch/ring/shot) can attest spotting and breakthrough bleeding are common side effects. women using postmenopausal hormone therapy can experience the same issues with spotting. among young women who are not using birth control which suppress ovulations spotting can signal ovulation. if a woman has a history of missed periods her uterine lining may be very thickened. in that instance spotting after sex can represent small amounts of the lining being shed off the top layer. women who are postmenopausal and not using any form of estrogen may have post-coital bleeding. in this scenario the vaginal tissues can become very thin and easily traumatized — even with the use of lubricants.
what causes post-coital bleeding in a non-pregnant woman?