HealthInfo Waitaha Canterbury
Bleeding after menopause
Te toto whanokē i muri i te rauhinetanga
Bleeding after menopause is called postmenopausal bleeding. It's relatively common. The bleeding can range from spotting – a pink or brown discharge – to heavier period-like bleeding.
Usually, the cause is something simple and treatable, but occasionally it can be more serious. If you start bleeding after menopause, always see your GP to find out the cause.
Common causes of postmenopausal bleeding include:
- the walls of your vagina or the lining of your womb (uterus) have become thinner and inflamed (vaginal atrophy)
- the wall of your uterus (endometrium) has become thicker, often due to menopausal hormonal therapy (MHT).
- cervical polyps
About one in every 10 cases of bleeding after menopause is caused by cancer of the uterus or cervical cancer.
Diagnosing postmenopausal bleeding
Your doctor will ask you about your bleeding, and do a pelvic examination. They may look at your cervix using an instrument called a speculum, which they put inside your vagina. If your last cervical screening test was more than 3 months ago they may do another one.
Tests to find out why you're bleeding may include a transvaginal ultrasound scan, using a specially designed ultrasound probe the width of a tampon. It's put into the lower part of your vagina to get images of your womb (uterus) and check how thick the wall lining is.
Other tests you might need include:
Treating postmenopausal bleeding
The treatment will depend on what is causing the bleeding.
HealthInfo recommends the following pages
- NHS – Post-menopausal bleeding or spotting
Information about the causes, diagnosis and treatment of post-menopausal bleeding.
Written by HealthInfo clinical advisers. Last reviewed September 2021.
Review key: HIMNP-12236
