Ok, so birth control apparently causes me to bleed slightly during sex sometimes...especially closer to my period and especially on certain types of bc.

My question is...if I stop taking bc, why would this bleeding also cease?

If it's your BC pill causing it, I think the bleeding will stop, but it might take you at least 1 full cycle off the pill to get it out of your system. I wouldn't panic if you stop the pill, have sex 1 week later, and bleed. You probably need a natural period first to reset your hormones.

BTW, sometimes if I have sex around the time I ovulate (around day 14 of my cycle), I will spot. I don't normally spot during sex, but around ovulation, I sometimes do. It's completely normal to spot then. Also, if your progesterone is low (and it might be your first couple cycles off the pill since the pill caused my progesterone level to be super-low), you might have spotting in your luteal phase a week before your period starts or just a day or 2 before AF. If it is low progesterone though, you will have the spotting whether you have sex or not, you just might notice it more when you have sex. I'm doing FAM, and I check my cervical fluid internally daily, which is how I noticed a little spotting my last cycle the day before AF showed. I'm taking vitamin B6 which I've heard may help with this luteal phase defect.

Ok, well that's what scares me. If it continues then it's NOT due to my bc. In which case I will freak out b/c ovarian cancer is a huge fear of mine.

I guess you just have to wait and see, but don't freak out too much about it. There are reasons to spot without being on the pill other than ovarian cancer which are not very scary, such as ovulation spotting or spotting in the luteal phase due to low progesterone. If it continues after stopping the pill, then I'd go see your gyno and get evaluated. Good luck!

Oh I wish I didn't freak out about it! But if it were something like OC I'd think it would happen every single time and by now I'd have other things going on. Don't you think so?

Three months ago I had sex the week after my period and I did not bleed at all. I really think it just happened again this time because I had diarrhea for a month from antidepressants so it was like I stopped the pill for a month...and now my body is just starting all over with getting used to the hormones again.

Does that make sense or am I just looking too hard for an explanation?

I think you're overthinking this. It's not as big of a deal as you're making it out to be. If there was something seriously wrong that started 2 years ago, you would be having other symptoms by now. I mean you would seriously be actually feeling SOMETHING by now if there was something wrong. But just having bleeding alone and no other symptoms means nothing.

As for bleeding while not on the pill, I still have it sometimes even though I quit the pill 7 months ago. It seems to happen during the time when I'm ovulating. If I sat here and freaked out every time it happened, I'd probably be a nervous wreck by now. But I just don't really care anymore. I'll most likely discuss it at my next annual visit with the gyne, but I'm really not overly concerned about it. Why? Because I'm not having any other symptoms outside of the minor spotting during ovulation. I had some cramps too, mid-cycle, but I have learned to blow that off too.

You have to learn how not to get so bent out of shape over every little thing. Have you bought the book yet? Taking Charge of Your Fertility is a great book. Even if you're not going to do the FAM for contraception, that book is a literal wealth of information about the female body and how it works and why it does what it does. You really, really, really need to read that book. I think it would really help you understand why you shouldn't get so freaked out so much over such minor things. In fact there's a section in the book that talks about when these things are normal and when to go see the doctor.

I really think you would benefit from reading that book. I implore you to go out and buy it today, and read it cover to cover, so you can better undersand your own body and so you can stop overreacting to these minor problems that are not nearly as serious as you seem to think they are.

Trust me I don't want to worry about this anymore. I wish I could just shrug it off. It's not something I've been able to control though.

I will definitely pick up that book. In fact, I'll be at the mall tonight so I will look for it at the bookstore.

Thank you!