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Hi Aunt Vadge,
I’ve been seeing a guy, and five days ago he fingered me. It was okay after that, but two days later I got my period with cramps, and it’s been bleeding since. I should mention I got my period twice this month. The first time the flow was light but I had severe cramps, like an ovarian cyst. The second time was fewer cramps but heavy flow. Did he cause this, or is it my hormones?
Sincerely,
Fingered
Age 29, Canada
Dear Fingered,
Being fingered didn’t cause this. Your menstrual cycle runs on its own hormonal clock, quite separately from whether you’re having sex or being touched – so fingering can’t bring on a period, let alone two. Unless you were fingered deeply enough to bruise or graze the tissue, it won’t cause cramping either.
Two bleeds in one month is far more likely to be your hormones having a wobble. Cycles do this from time to time – a heavier or lighter bleed, one that comes early, a bit of extra spotting. A one-off is usually just a blip that sorts itself out.
When to get it checked
What matters is the pattern. If your periods keep coming too close together, stay irregular, or you get bleeding between periods, that’s worth a doctor’s appointment. They can take a proper history and check your cervix, abdomen and ovaries for anything unusual – especially helpful if you’ve had ovarian cysts before and recognise that feeling.
The severe, cyst-like cramps you describe are reason enough to get seen if they keep happening, rather than waiting to see whether it settles.
How this affects your vagina
Irregular bleeding itself doesn’t damage your vagina, but heavy or constant bleeding can leave the area feeling tender and more prone to irritation, and ongoing hormonal upset can affect discharge and dryness. Settling the cycle usually settles all of that.
If your periods are reliably irregular and you’ve been checked over with nothing found, a naturopath can work on regulating your cycle – irregular ovulation is worth sorting, since it also affects fertility. Helping a wandering cycle find its rhythm is a mainstay of our clinical work, and something we really enjoy.
Track everything – dates, flow, pain, symptoms – so whoever you see has a clear picture to work from.
Write any time.
Warmest regards,
Aunt Vadge
This is general information, not a substitute for personalised medical advice.
- Chou PB, Morse CA, Xu H. A controlled trial of Chinese herbal medicine for premenstrual syndrome. Journal of Psychosomatic Obstetrics & Gynaecology. 2008;29(3):189–196.
- Reid R, Steel A, Wardle J, Adams J. Naturopathic Medicine for the Management of Endometriosis, Dysmenorrhea, and Menorrhagia: A Content Analysis. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. 2019;25(2):202–226.
