Everything you need to know about sex during your period

Author: Emma Libner

Many of us have been taught that menstruation is something we should keep to ourselves, and that sex during menstruation is awkward, disgusting, and perhaps even dangerous. It's a belief that actually goes back all the way to ancient Greece, where Pliny the Elder, among others, believed that men could drop dead if they had sex with a menstruating woman (seriously!). Let's just put that belief to rest for good measure. Sex during menstruation is in no way dangerous.
But what are the ups and downs when it comes to menstruation and sex? Let me give you a little tour in this article so that you can really see how many benefits there are to having sex when you're on your period, if you feel like having sex during your period .

Orgasms can help with menstrual cramps

First of all: From a medical perspective, there is nothing wrong with having sex when you are menstruating. Quite the opposite, in fact. Sex during your period - either by yourself or with a partner - can actually help with some of the symptoms that come with menstruation . This applies, for example, to menstrual pain in the form of headaches and cramps, which affect up to 90% of all menstruating people.

When you have sex, your brain releases a lot of feel-good endorphins , which not only give you a euphoric feeling, but also have pain-relieving properties. We like that! Some people also find that their orgasms have a soothing effect on menstrual cramps because the muscle movements from orgasm help the uterus relax.

So, according to science, period pain and intimacy aren't exactly a bad cocktail. You could be tempted to say that sex, and especially a good orgasm, works a bit like nature's own Panadol!

Your period can make you more horny

Another surprising aspect of menstruation is that many people find that they feel more sexually aroused when they're bleeding. Maybe that's you? And maybe you've felt it... wrong? It's not, but as with so much else, science doesn't have a single answer to why it happens. What we do know is that during menstruation , there 's a natural increase in blood flow to the lower abdomen, which can affect sensitivity in the area and thus, tadaa, make you more horny.

Your hormones can also influence your desire. During menstruation, testosterone and estrogen levels increase, and both can have a positive impact on the need for intimacy and sex.

Finally, there may also be psychosocial factors at play. Maybe having sex when you're bleeding feels a bit forbidden - and therefore it's a little more exciting? Or maybe there's something wonderfully liberating about the idea that the chance of getting pregnant is not nearly as high as at other times of your cycle? Both are perfectly valid reasons to have sex during your period. Just remember that STDs are still contagious even when you're on your period, and that the risk of getting pregnant is never zero percent. So remember to use protection if you do get involved in the bed gym.

Good advice for sex during menstruation

• Place a dark towel under you or invest in a wet bed sheet. In larger sex shops you can get sheets designed specifically for sex, which can be used both during menstruation and other wet pleasures such as squirting. A towel can be enough, and in the worst case, your bed linen can also be washed if blood gets on it.

• Find a comfortable position. During your period, your cervix hangs lower, which can affect how you experience different sex positions. You may also want to minimize blood loss. So consider what position feels comfortable for you and tell your partner.

• Move the sex to the bathroom. If the idea of ​​cleaning up after sex seems too overwhelming, the bathroom is an obvious place to move the act. In the shower, you don't have to think about stained sheets and clotted blood between your balls. On the other hand, it requires a little extra imagination, which with a little openness and patience can become a wonderful part of the sex itself.

• Focus on external stimulation. Sex is about more than penetration, so experiment with what feels good. Is it old-fashioned hand-job action? A powerful vibrator on the outside of your panties? Again, let your imagination run wild!

• The menstrual disc is also an option during sex. Unlike the menstrual cup, a disc is relatively flat and soft, somewhat reminiscent of an old-fashioned pessary, but it holds the blood during sex. Just be aware that a menstrual disc does not have the same protective properties as a pessary if you have sex that could get you pregnant.

• Talk to your partner. Do you have a lot of desire when you menstruate? Or none at all? We know that the dominant cultural narrative about menstruation can make it difficult for many to talk about menstruation in relationships and other sexual relationships. We simply lack a language for our experiences. The best advice we can give you is therefore to try to communicate your thoughts and feelings as best you can - even if it may feel anxiety-provoking. In this way, you not only give your partner the opportunity to meet your wishes and needs. You also begin to create a language for your experiences, which in turn makes it easier to communicate them. Remember that there are no wrong feelings in connection with your period.

Sex with menstruation - It's just blood

It's important to emphasize that there is no right or wrong when it comes to menstruation and sex during menstruation. It's okay to want to fuck like rabbits on day 2 of your period. And it's also okay to not want any physical contact at all. This applies regardless of whether you're bleeding or not.

And it's perhaps worth remembering that all forms of sex involve secretions of some kind. Just think about how important it is to be wet in order to have penetrative sex. Or about semen, which in many sexual contexts is a welcome guest in the bedroom.

If we consider menstrual blood as just another bodily fluid that appears in our sex lives, maybe we can - if we want to - start sharing it with others without shame. It's just blood, after all.