Vaginal bleeding before age 10
It is uncommon for a young girl to start menstruating before age 10.
Injuries to the pelvic or vaginal area, such as falling on the crossbar of a bicycle, can cause vaginal bleeding. An object in the vagina can cause vaginal bleeding or discharge.
Sexual abuse is another possible cause of vaginal bleeding in a young girl. You may feel uneasy if your doctor brings up the issue of sexual abuse. Doctors and nurses have a professional duty and legal obligation to evaluate the possibility of abuse. It is important to consider this possibility, especially if there were no witnesses to an injury that caused a child's vaginal bleeding.
If you think your child has been abused, it is your responsibility to call your doctor or contact your local Children's Aid Society. Adults need to protect young children, because children cannot protect themselves.
| Author: | Jan Nissl, RN, BS | Last Updated: August 29, 2007 |
| Medical Review: | Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine Donald Sproule, MD, CM, CCFP, FCFP - Family Medicine Kirtly Jones, MD - Obstetrics and Gynecology | |
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