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Bleeding from the bottom (rectal bleeding)

Overview

Open all pages about Bleeding from the bottom (rectal bleeding)

Signs of bleeding from the bottom include blood on your toilet paper, blood on or in your poo, pink water in the toilet, or very dark poo.

If you see a GP because you have bleeding from your bottom, they may check your bottom with a gloved finger and ask for a sample of poo for testing.

Causes of bleeding from the bottom include piles, anal fissures, sexually transmitted infections and a side effect of medicine to prevent blood clots.

A small amount of one-off bleeding from your bottom (rectal bleeding) is not usually a serious problem. A GP can check what the cause might be.

Page last reviewed: 12/04/2023
Next review due: 12/04/2026