If you’ve experienced spotting after sex, it’s natural to wonder, “What the heck is happening to my body?” After all, there are many reasons you could be spotting, both innocent and more serious. And if you’ve been trying to get pregnant (or trying not to get pregnant!), it’s likely that you’re curious whether light spotting means you could be expecting.

So, is spotting a sign of pregnancy? The experts say that spotting after sex does not necessarily mean you’re pregnant. Ahead, they list other reasons you could be spotting, how to tell if your spotting does signify pregnancy and more.

In this article:
Is spotting after sex a sign of pregnancy?
Other causes of spotting after sex
How to tell if your spotting after sex means you’re pregnant
When to reach out to your doctor

Is Spotting After Sex a Sign of Pregnancy?

Spotting after sex isn’t necessarily a sign of pregnancy, says Meleen Chuang, MD, chief of Obstetrics and Gynecology at NYU Langone Hospital Brooklyn. There are many other causes (more on that below!). If you’re spotting after sex—or at any other time—it’s important to look at all your symptoms in totality and be evaluated by your healthcare provider.

Is spotting a sign of pregnancy?

Again, spotting on its own isn’t necessarily a sign of pregnancy. But there’s a common type of early-pregnancy spotting called implantation bleeding, which is typically light and brief, experts say. To determine whether that’s the cause of your spotting, it’s important to see a healthcare provider.

Other Causes of Spotting After Sex

There are many non-pregnancy causes for spotting after sex. A few of them include:

How to Tell If Your Spotting After Sex Means You’re Pregnant

If you’re having light spotting after sex, the best way to tell if you’re pregnant is to take a pregnancy test.

If your pregnancy test is positive, that spotting could be implantation bleeding: “Implantation bleeding is light spotting that can happen when a fertilized egg attaches to the lining of the uterus and occurs six to 12 days after conception,” says Chuang. “It’s lighter in color—pinkish—compared to regular menstrual periods and can last a few hours to a few days.”

Pay attention to other potential early-pregnancy symptoms too: “If you have vomiting, nausea, breast tenderness, are missing your period, [it’s] more likely” that you’re pregnant, says Greves—though, again, you’ll need to take a test to be sure.

Pregnancy spotting or menstruation?

The biggest difference between period spotting vs pregnancy spotting is that implantation bleeding is typically lighter than your menstrual period, says Crowe. However, since some people have spotting in the beginning of their period, it can be hard to tell, she says.

Adds Greves: “Your period is typically a darker color, and also if your flow is heavier during your period and all of a sudden you’re noticing just light spotting, that could be a difference.”

Does spotting during ovulation mean pregnancy?

“If you’re ovulating, you’re not pregnant,” points out Greves. (Except in extremely rare exceptions, like superfetation, aka getting pregnant while you’re pregnant.)

When to Reach Out to Your Doctor

Crowe says it’s important to reach out to your healthcare provider anytime you experience any abnormal spotting or bleeding.

They can evaluate whether you have a serious condition such as ectopic pregnancy—when a fertilized egg grows outside of the uterus, Crowe says. Ectopic pregnancy ruptures are the leading cause of first-trimester maternal mortality, but treatment can prevent this. Bleeding from an ectopic pregnancy can be light or heavy, and you may or may not have pain, she says. She adds that sometimes, spotting could also signal early pregnancy loss.

“If you notice [anything off], reach out to your doctor to find out—there could be a variety of reasons and you want to make sure everything’s okay,” says Greves. “That's what we’re here for!”

Plus, more from The Bump:

Implantation Bleeding: When It Happens and What It Looks Like

What to Know About Ovulation Pain When You’re Trying to Conceive

15 Early Signs of Pregnancy