Spotting between periods is actually quite common. It is more common when girls/women use various methods of hormonal contraception like some pills, patches, etc. but it also happens to most of us at various times. In order to understand why this happens I would need to explain to you the complex hormonal control of ovulation and menstruation, and since it would take me a while and be a LONG message, suffice it to say that it happens and is normal.

If a woman gets her period it is no guarantee that she is not pregnant. It usually is a fairly accurate indicator that she is not pregnant, but the only medical way to know for sure is to have the combination of testing of the hormones which is done by the various pregnancy tests doctors or pharmacies promote and by getting a pelvic exam by a doctor who can feel that the uterus is beginning to soften for a pregnancy.

Usually when a woman is pregnant, her uterine lining (which is the menstrual flow) does not shed but sometimes, the first month or two of pregnancy, it sheds some in some women, giving them a false send of "safety".

That is why it is very important to know exactly what behaviors create a pregnancy, and to use very good contraceptive methods to prevent this if you would not like to have a pregnancy at this time in your life.

Thanks again for writing.

Reviewed by Sexual Health Editorial Team