What does dark red period blood mean?

Answering the question"why is my period blood brown" 🤎

When we think of period blood, we often think of a bright red colour, but actually this isn't always the case!

A very common colour for period blood to be is dark red and kind of brown in colour – a question luna often gets asked is "why is my period blood brown". So let's explore why this is!

So when our period is in full flow – often day 2-3 – we may see brighter red blood, whereas brown period blood is normally seen at the start and end of periods –  this is because period blood can sometimes take time to fully clear out so the blood oxidises (reacts with oxygen), and so may appear brown in colour 🤎

These kind of period blood colours (rusty, dark red and brown) are really common during your period and not usually something to worry about.

The same applies if you notice brown discharge before you have started a first period. This is usually nothing to be concerned about, but things that might suggest abnormal vaginal discharge, or infection, include:

• Smell: normally your discharge should not have an offensive smell
• Colour: normally your discharge is clear or white and it should not be grey or green or blood-tinged (blood-tinged is acceptable if you are on your period)
• Consistency: the consistency of your discharge changes throughout your menstrual cycle. It might be stringy on some days, or sticky on other days. It should not look like clumps or foam 
• Pain: normally you do not have pain with discharge. You should not have discomfort around your vagina, abdomen or pelvis area, on passing urine or when you have sexual intercourse
• Other symptoms: you should not experience itchiness, redness or swelling around your vagina with your discharge

If you have noticed any abnormal symptoms in regards to your discharge like the ones mentioned above or changes to your normal vaginal discharge, make an appointment with your GP or sexual health clinic to get it checked out 🩺 This could have different causes (e.g. infection) and might need to be treated.

Seeking medical help in regards to your vaginal discharge is absolutely nothing to be ashamed of and is a common reason why people go to their doctor/healthcare provider. Remember they see this all the time 💙

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