I’ve been spotting for three days after a messy hookup with my ex, and I'm terrified because my aunt literally works reception at our town’s only clinic 💀 When I finally texted him panicked about an STI, he swore his itch was just an allergic reaction to laundry detergent. Can rough sex actually cause bleeding days later, or is something else going on?

Breathe: laundry detergent creates plenty of drama, but it didn’t cause your spotting. What likely happened is way more common than an exotic infection. A rough encounter can easily irritate the cervix—which bleeds at the slightest bump—or cause tiny micro-tears along the vaginal wall. Because that tiny amount of blood takes time to exit and oxidizes, it often turns up fashionably late as light pink or brownish spotting a couple of days later. If you aren't filling pads, burning when you pee, or running a fever, your body is mostly just healing a friction bruise. As for your aunt guarding the clinic gates like a small-town Cerberus: you don't have to risk the gossip. Hop a bus to the next town or look up a youth telehealth service to get a routine STI panel anyway. Even if Romeo’s itchy crotch was genuinely just a battle with Tide Pods, getting tested between partners is just good hygiene. Next time things get intense, use plenty of lube—it spares your cervix and saves you from 2 a.m. WhatsApp detective work.