Something else? Ask Aunt Vadge – bottom left of your screen!
Dear Aunt Vadge,
I touched myself when I wasn’t wet and I started to bleed. I’m scared I’ve torn myself really badly and I don’t know what to do, or whether I should just wait for it to heal. I checked again and the area around my urethra doesn’t look the same.
It doesn’t burn when I pee, but I’m still bleeding. I don’t know how my mum would react if I told her. Should I wait for it to heal by itself, or go straight to a doctor? This only started today.
Sincerely,
Bleeding
Country: US
Dear Bleeding,
The most likely thing is that you’ve grazed the delicate skin around the vaginal opening a little. That skin is thin and can nick easily when it’s dry, but small grazes like this usually heal on their own, quite quickly.
A helpful clue: a bleeding graze starts bleeding straight away. If the bleeding didn’t begin at the moment it happened, the two things might not be related at all.
It’s also worth making sure it isn’t your period. Periods can turn up unexpectedly, especially in the first year or two of having them, so it’s possible a small graze and an unexpected period have simply landed on the same day.
To keep track of when your period is due, pop a period tracker app on your phone or mark it on a calendar, and work out roughly how many days your cycle runs (it will vary a bit month to month).
Now the safety part. If the bleeding keeps going, you’re in pain, or the area starts to feel hot and looks red or swollen, please get to a doctor or clinic. If the bleeding stops fairly soon, or it turns out to be a period, you’re most likely absolutely fine. Our guide on how to care for a lightly grazed vagina will walk you through soothing it and what to expect.
If you’re worried, it really is worth talking to your mum or another trusted adult. You don’t have to go into detail – you can simply say you’ve hurt yourself by accident and would like to see a doctor, or ask what she thinks. These things happen, and the people who care about you would rather help than have you worry alone.
Write any time.
Warmest regards,
Aunt Vadge
This is general information, not a substitute for personalised medical advice.
