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Why do I have black bleeding after taking the i-pill?

This Premium Q&A, reviewed and published, features a real conversation between an iCliniq user and a physician.

Patient's Query

Hi doctor,

I had unprotected sex 14 days back and took the i-pill within four to five hours of unprotected sex, and my last period was 25 days ago. Today, I got dark-colored bleeding, almost near black, and it has a slight smell. I also have lower abdominal pain and lower back pain.

  1. I also took a urine pregnancy test three days back, and it came back negative. So my concern is, is this bleeding my periods?

  2. It is black in color and has a smell, and it came five days before my last period date. Why is it so?

Please advise.

Thank you.

Answered by Dr. Reetika

Education:

MBBS

Professional Bio:

Dr. Reetika is an Obstetrician and Gynecologist dedicated to women’s health and reproductive care. She guides women and adolescent girls in understanding the natural changes of the female body, including menstruation, fertility, conception, pregnancy, and menopause. She performs surgeries to diagnose and treat gynecological conditions and specializes in managing high-risk pregnancies and infertility. Dr. Reetika also conducts educational seminars on female health and reproductive wellness.

This doctor is not available for online consultations on the platform anymore.

Hello

Welcome to icliniq.com

I understand your concern and will definitely help you with it.

See, emergency contraceptive pills prevent pregnancy by acting at three different

First, it prevents the release of the egg; second, it prevents fertilization of the egg; and lastly, it prevents implantation of the egg in the uterus. So you are 99 percent safe from pregnancy, as you had taken the emergency contraceptive pill in time

Further, the emergency contraceptive pill is hormone-based, and it, by its three actions explained above, leads to bleeding in some females, as experienced by you. So do not worry

You may expect a delay of approximately days in your next period, and since you have taken ecp (emergency contraceptive pill) before the halfway mark of your cycle, you can consider this as your period if the flow is fine

Also, in rare case even if you are pregnant in ten days you generally do not get accurate result from pregnancy tests so wait for a minimum of a week and repeat the pregnancy test

I hope this is clear, and if you have any questions, do not hesitate to ask.

Do follow up whenever needed.

Let me know if I can assist you further.

Thank you.

Patient's Query

Hi doctor,

Thank you for the reply.

You reduced my tension a whole lot. But is this black color bleeding normal after taking an i-pill?

The bleeding does have a smell.

Please advise.

Thank you.

Answered by Dr. Reetika

Education:

MBBS

Professional Bio:

Dr. Reetika is an Obstetrician and Gynecologist dedicated to women’s health and reproductive care. She guides women and adolescent girls in understanding the natural changes of the female body, including menstruation, fertility, conception, pregnancy, and menopause. She performs surgeries to diagnose and treat gynecological conditions and specializes in managing high-risk pregnancies and infertility. Dr. Reetika also conducts educational seminars on female health and reproductive wellness.

This doctor is not available for online consultations on the platform anymore.

Hello

Welcome back to icliniq.com

I understand your concern and will definitely help you with it.

Yes, some females experience bleeding. So, not to worry about color; it is normal.

I hope this is clear, and if you have any questions, do not hesitate to ask.

Do follow up whenever needed.

Let me know if I can assist you further.

Thank you.

Patient's Query

Hi doctor,

Thank you for the reply.

Answered by Dr. Reetika

Education:

MBBS

Professional Bio:

Dr. Reetika is an Obstetrician and Gynecologist dedicated to women’s health and reproductive care. She guides women and adolescent girls in understanding the natural changes of the female body, including menstruation, fertility, conception, pregnancy, and menopause. She performs surgeries to diagnose and treat gynecological conditions and specializes in managing high-risk pregnancies and infertility. Dr. Reetika also conducts educational seminars on female health and reproductive wellness.

This doctor is not available for online consultations on the platform anymore.

Hello

Welcome back to icliniq.com

Grateful that I could help. God bless.

Let me know if I can assist you further.

Thank you.

Answered by Dr. Reetika
Medically reviewed by iCliniq medical review team
Published At July 5, 2026
Reviewed At July 8, 2026

Education:

MBBS

Professional Bio:

Dr. Reetika is an Obstetrician and Gynecologist dedicated to women’s health and reproductive care. She guides women and adolescent girls in understanding the natural changes of the female body, including menstruation, fertility, conception, pregnancy, and menopause. She performs surgeries to diagnose and treat gynecological conditions and specializes in managing high-risk pregnancies and infertility. Dr. Reetika also conducts educational seminars on female health and reproductive wellness.

This doctor is not available for online consultations on the platform anymore.

Same symptoms don't mean you have the same problem. Consult a doctor now!

Dr. Reetika
Dr. Reetika

Obstetrics and Gynecology

Education:

MBBS

Professional Bio:

Dr. Reetika is an Obstetrician and Gynecologist dedicated to women’s health and reproductive care. She guides women and adolescent girls in understanding the natural changes of the female body, including menstruation, fertility, conception, pregnancy, and menopause. She performs surgeries to diagnose and treat gynecological conditions and specializes in managing high-risk pregnancies and infertility. Dr. Reetika also conducts educational seminars on female health and reproductive wellness.

This doctor is not available for online consultations on the platform anymore.

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