Passing brown discharge for 10 days. What could this be?

Resolved question:

Hi, I am 19 years old and I have had irregular periods since I was 14 but now I am really getting concerned. Last year I had my period only 4 times and this year I have not had my period yet but I was peeing and I noticed brown discharge. So I stuck my hand in my vagina and notice brown globs of dried blood/discharge. I have stuck my hand a few more times over the week and noticed that the brown blood/discharge is still there. I have no idea what it is and I am getting really concerned. The worst part is that I am not even spotting and this blood/discharge has been there for at least 10-12 days and I have no idea what it is. Please help, thanks!

Submitted: 4 Days
Category: Community

Expert:  Dr. John Monheit replied 4 Days.

Hello, I understand your worries. The light brown discharge that you have described could be due to a number of reasons. However in your case the brown bleeding is due to your periods. Brownish color of the discharge is a mixture of blood and mucus. It usually occurs for about 1-2 days prior to the onset of the next menstrual cycle and generally lasts for 2 days. If it progresses more than 2 days, then it could indicate infection, inflammation, and hormonal imbalance. It is usually odorless, but if it has a foul odor, then it is suggestive of infections like chlamydia, herpes. The other causes that can result in bleeding are during miscarriage, ectopic gestation there are two types of tests to determine pregnancy:

a) Urine tests: here since HCG is also seen in urine, a convenient method is known as Home pregnancy test can be done where the urine sample can detect the levels of HCG and confirm the pregnancy. However sometimes there is a small percentage of false negative where it is seen in three conditions:

a) You have tested 6-7 days after ovulation using a home kit. In such a case, the test appears negative, as there is not enough HCG in the urine.

b) Urine is diluted as the patient as had a lot of water, so the test appears negative.

c) Sensitivity of the test is low as seen in home kits.

The other available test is the blood test where HCG levels are measured in the blood and is more accurate than the urine test and can detect much earlier than the urine test I would suggest you to consult your doctor and get a complete evaluation. Thank you.

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