[mcneill2181]

Hello, I am 22 years old and have been on birth control since I was 16. I am in a relationship with someone who I've been with for 5 years, and we typically do not use condoms but if I am in between getting my birth control we do. I have been bleeding for the past 8 days really light for most of it and then really heavy for part, but I can generally manage on light liners. It is usually reddish brown and sometimes it almost looks black, my periods are always regular because of my pill, but I am not suppose to get my period for another couple of days. I don't really want to go to my doctor because I don't want to seem like a hypochondriac but people keep bringing up the big pregnancy word and I am getting a little worried. I don't know if I am overreacting but it is scary. Does anyone have any advice on what could be happening?? :confused:

[DoulaLC]

Since no form of birth control will be 100% effective, pregnancy would be a possibility to check into. However, it is not unusual for there to be irregular bleeding or spotting while using hormonal types of birth control. Sometimes this can occur even when it never has before. It may be due to not starting a new pack of pills, or getting the next injection, on schedule, since there will be a change in hormone levels. It can also just be from how a woman's body happens to be effected by the hormones... which can change over time.