Women's Health

Is it Safe Having Sex in Periods?

November 11, 2008

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Many women keep juggling between heightened sexual desire, their approximate ovulation date, and their monthly periods. Due to this, most women are left with the question: “Is it safe to have sex during periods?” Without guaranteed contraceptive measures, sex during periods is always a concern.

But one of the funniest things that may be said is that most women experience heightened sex drive around their menses or even during their menses. The reason behind this is no doubt hormonal. Because of fewer estrogen reserves during this period, their sex drive gets a boost. However, can women really enjoy sex during those 4-5 days of vaginal bleeding? Is it safe to have sex during periods? Let’s see the different perspectives-

Consider Reading: Get The Facts Right – Sex During Menstruation

First of all, let’s be sure that the bleeding you are experiencing is menstrual bleeding and not ovulatory bleeding (called mittelschmerz in medical terms). This is especially necessary for women who like to use their menstrual period as a safe period for unprotected sex. However, if this is ovulatory bleeding, then you run a high risk of pregnancy. Therefore, doctors suggest that it’s unwise to use menses as a means of contraception unless you are sure of your cycles.
However, those women who know their ovulation approximately and have pretty regular menses, are protected during their periods and do not conceive after having sex.
Most doctors also state that intercourse during menses is more of a taboo all over the world, in different cultures and religions. Many women and their partners however enjoy sex during the periods because little extra fluids are available during this period and this makes their sexual experience more gratifying.
Another postulate says that having sex during periods eases dysmenorrhea. It means sex eases the woman from the abdominal cramps she experiences during her periods. The orgasm is said to save her from cramps. This is however not true with all women and in some of them; the pain may be aggravated after intercourse.
The major problem most couples face is the unusual messiness during menses that occurs after intercourse. This is the reason most couples avoid intercourse during menses despite having increased sex urges. However, some couples find the use of specific tampons or diaphragms useful during menses and save them from undue messiness.

Reader’s Choice: 7 Rare Facts About Periods You Had No Clue About

Is it safe to have protected sex during periods?

Most times, it does not cause any harm to have protected sex during periods. However, there are some risks you may have to face if you have sex during menses without protection. Let’s see what they are-

Most sexually transmitted organisms thrive better in rich menstrual blood. The women or men who contact STDs during menses have worse manifestations of the disease than those who contact STDs during the non-menstrual period. Thus, the use of condoms is stressed especially in high-risk people.
HIV is also transmitted easily in the menstrual blood of an infected woman.
Some gynecologists advise against having sex during periods because according to them, it can increase the risk of pelvic inflammatory disease in women.
Sex during periods can cause infection, yes or no? If the woman is suffering from herpes infection, the flare-up is common during her periods. This can lead to easy transmission of the herpes virus.

Thus, there are different perspectives mentioned by experts about the safety of having sex during periods. If you are fine with the mess it causes and you are protected by the use of barrier methods like condoms, having sex during menses is pretty much acceptable.

Now your partner will not be squeamish about your complete retreat during your periods. You can also materialize your heightened sex drive during menses by having sex! Hope your concerns and doubts on the question of “is it safe to have sex during periods?” have been put to rest through this post. Well, sex drive is the most ancient drive a human being possesses. Let get accustomed to it without having taboo ideas anymore!