Hello, and I hope I can help you today. Low-dose oral contraceptives sometimes produce the side effect of what is called breakthrough bleeding... Which means bleeding when you re not supposed to have your period. When blood travels very slowly through your genital tract, it mixes with your vaginal discharge and frequently turns brown or blackish. Breakthrough bleeding is most common in either the first three months of pill use, or after being on the pill for very long time, or if you miss a pill, or if your schedule changes or if you re under a lot of stress. This is not a symptom of anything being wrong, or of your contraceptive not working, however it can be bothersome. If you do take your pill close to the same time every day and didn t miss any, and you continue to have breakthrough bleeding, you might want to discuss with your healthcare provider the possibility of changing to another brand of contraceptive. So in summary, there is nothing to worry about from the dark discharge you are experiencing or not bleeding during your actual pill free week. If this continues, you may want to consider changing to a different brand of birth control, as increasing your estrogen dose can sometimes help with breakthrough bleeding. I hope I was able to adequately answer your question today, and that my advice was helpful. Best wishes, Dr. Brown