For the past month, i've been having problems with bleeding after intercourse with my boyfriend. I'm 21 years old and have been intimate before. When we first started having sex, I wasn't on birth control yet so we were using condoms. At that time, I had no problems at all with bleeding. I started using the birth control patch about 2 months ago, and so we haven't been using a condom anymore. I should also mention that since we don't live together, we are only able to be together every 2 weeks usually. The last time I went to stay with him for the weekend, the first time we had sex over the course of the weekend, I bled quiet a bit. It was fresh blood, so I thought that the reason for it was a small tear. We decided to give it another try the next day since the bleeding had stopped the night before. No bleeding that time, or any time after that. This past weekend, he came to stay with me, and we only had sex once. Of course, I bled again that time too.

I thought that perhaps the reason why I was bleeding afterwards was due to a small tear, but wondered why I had never bled before. I am also confused as to why I only bleed after the first time, but not any time afterwards.

I am aware that spotting and break-through bleeding are side effects of the birth contorl. Is this break-through bleeding or another problem? Or, could it simply be that i've been tensing up? Or, is it just a tear?

Thanks!