When the gap between a woman’s menstrual periods keeps changing, this is known as irregular bleeding. Your periods may come early or late or you may even experience bleeding between periods. The average menstrual cycle is 28 days, although sometimes they are a bit shorter or longer than this. After puberty, if you develop a regular menstrual cycle with a similar length of time between periods, this is perfectly normal. Women and girls’ menstrual cycles can vary by a few days each time. This is common.
There are many different causes of irregular bleeding and bleeding between periods, including puberty, menopause, early pregnancy, hormonal contracpetion, severe weight fluctuations, stress, over-exercising and certain medical conditions.
If you have always experienced slightly irregular periods, or if you are still going through puberty, then there is no need to see a doctor. However if you have noticed sudden changes in your menstrual cycle, bleeding between periods or you are experiencing irregular periods and are struggling to conceive, then you should seek medical advice.
Bleeding in between periods can be a symptom of certain sexually transmitted infections (STIs) or certain gyanecological cancers, including cervical cancer.