If you’re new to having your period, this spotting may just be a minor inconvenience while your body determines its regular cycle. As a menstruation newbie, your hormones are constantly in flux, so the amount of blood and the length of time your period lasts may be different from one period to the next. I do, however, recommend that you check with your healthcare provider to determine the cause (they can be a great source of info for your down-there woes).

Rather than asking “is it normal?” a better question would be, “Is it unusual for you?” If you’ve always had specks of blood in your discharge, there may be no need for alarm, although I would recommend bringing it up the next time you visit your healthcare provider. Typically, healthy discharge is clear or white in color. If the specks of blood you’re seeing are new for you, then I’d recommend calling for an appointment with your healthcare provider now.

It’s probably okay, but I’m not sure I’d say it’s completely normal. Bloody specks can just mean that you are getting close to your period and this a little bit of a ‘false start.’ But if you are sexually active, bloody specks can mean that your cervix or vagina has an irritation or infection. The bottom line is that if you are sexually active and have blood at odd times in your discharge, it makes sense to check in with your healthcare provider. If you aren’t sexually active but the spotting happens for a few cycles, it may make sense to touch base with your healthcare provider as spotting can mean that your hormones are a little out of whack.