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, smelly 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, an anal fissure, a sexually transmitted infection and a side effect of blood-thinning medicine.

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.