When women initially get their periods as young girls, periods tend to be variable in length and start time, which can lead to breakthrough bleeding. However, most women's cycles stabilize as they become adults. If you're a grown-up and are having problems with breakthrough or abnormal bleeding outside of your normal period, it's a warning sign that you shouldn't ignore. Here are a few possibilities that could be causing it.

Some women only visit the gynecologist when they need to — they're pregnant, wanting to get on birth control, or have a yeast infection or other condition that needs to be diagnosed and treated. However, it's recommended that women see their gynecologist every year, and if you haven't scheduled your annual exam yet, you need to do it now. It's important that you keep your visits to the gynecologist, even if you feel your reproductive health is fine.