You’ve just had sex with your partner. You’re feeling lost in the afterglow. But when you get up to go to the bathroom, there’s blood on the toilet paper — and you’re nowhere near your period. You’re immediately panicked, fearfully wondering what could be wrong.

Spotting after sex can occur for a variety of reasons, so it’s important to have yourself checked out by a doctor. Here are some common causes for post-sex spotting:

Cervical polyps or precancerous changes to cervical cells.
Both cause the cervix to become more sensitive, so if your partner’s penis comes in contact with your cervix during intercourse, it may aggravate the area and result in bleeding. The cervix changes its position in the body, which is why you may bleed on some occasions and not others.

A yeast or bacterial infection.
These infections can cause changes to vaginal tissues that result in bleeding.

A sexually transmitted disease.
An STD, such as gonorrhea or chlamydia, may behave like a vaginal infection and can cause bleeding.

Uterine polyps or fibroids.
Both are typically benign growths that occur inside the uterus and can bleed as a result of friction during intercourse.