Rectal bleeding can refer to any blood that passes from your anus, although rectal bleeding is generally assumed to refer to bleeding from your lower colon or rectum. Your rectum tends to make up the very last few inches of your large intestine.

Rectal bleeding could clearly show up as blood in your stool, on the toilet paper or in the toilet bowl. Blood that effects from rectal bleeding is generally bright purple in color, but at times can be dark maroon.