Brown discharge is very common and usually isn’t a sign of a health concern.

Common reasons for brown discharge don’t usually require medical attention.

If it continues beyond a few days, you should see your healthcare provider.

An illustration of a woman looking at her underwear before doing her laundry.

Illustration by Michela Buttignol for Verywell Health

Your period is late when it is delayed five or more days compared to your normal cycle.

Implantation bleeding, if it occurs, happens a few days before when you would otherwise menstruate.

Abnormal Vaginal Discharge

Abnormal vaginal discharge can indicate an infection or other health problem.

Illustration of a woman looking into a pair of underwear (what is normal discharge?)

Illustration by Ellen Lindner for Verywell Health

Treatment will depend on the underlying cause of brown discharge and related symptoms.

Some causes such as an infection or ectopic pregnancy may require medical care, though.

If you are concerned about your discharge, speak with your healthcare provider.

They can evaluate symptoms and diagnose a condition that needs treatment if there’s an underlying cause.

American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.Is it normal to have vaginal discharge?.

Amrin SS, Lakshmi GJ.Vaginal discharge: The diagnostic enigma.Indian J Sex Transm Dis AIDS.

2021 Jan-Jun;42(1):38-45. doi:10.4103/ijstd.IJSTD_92_18

MedlinePlus.Cervical cancer.

Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care.Vaginal discharge.

MedlinePlus.Vaginal itching and discharge - adult and adolescent.

American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.Bleeding during pregnancy.

Planned Parenthood.What are the side effects of the birth control pill?

Planned Parenthood.What are the side effects of the birth control implant?

American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.Perimenopausal bleeding and bleeding after menopause.

American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.3 Conditions to watch for after childbirth.

Seattle Children’s.Menstrual period - missed or late.

Johns Hopskins Medicine.Cervical biopsy.

American Academy of Family Physicians.Common sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

National Health Service.Ectopic pregnancy.

University of CaliforniaDavis Health.What are the signs of early miscarriage?.

American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.Early pregnancy loss.

National Library of Medicine: MedlinePlus.Cervical cancer.

Johns Hopkins Medicine.Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

USA Fibroid Centers.Why is my period blood brown?

Mount Sinai.Vaginal bleeding between periods.

National Health Service.Vaginal discharge.

American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.Vulvovaginal health.

American Academy of Family Physicians.Toxic shock syndrome.

2024 Dec 6;2024(1):367-375. doi:10.1182/hematology.2024000661

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Heavy menstrual bleeding.