In favour of period sex, we have listed a few reasons why this is, in fact, a great time of the month to get busy. Plus we have some tips from the Smile Makers community below to help you get over any reservations you may have.
More in the mood?
62% of women agree that they generally feel hornier during their period.
“This may be because the chances of pregnancy are lower while a woman is menstruating, that may psychologically enable some women to feel more sexual” and less inhibited.
Another reason may be that menstruation forces us to recognise our female bodies and this embodiment, in turn, may be a turn-on.
If you notice an incline in your desire during your period, don’t let cultural shame around a very normal and healthy occurrence ruin that for you! Being on your period does not mean that your body has shut down, it’s simply doing a Spring clean.
Masturbation helps period cramps.
Another great reason to have an orgasm during your TOM is for cramp relief. Your body during sex goes through a lot of physiological changes that make sex the best mood enhancer out there. The positive hormones released during your orgasm are said to help ease physical pain (in fact oxytocin relaxes the uterus) as well as puts you in a great mood overall.
Period sex tips.
1. Getting real intimate.
Our period forces us to honor a shift in energy and hormonal levels as well as the internal physical changes. Having sex during your period could be the perfect reason to slow down as you connect with your body on a deeper level.
Sex education and the media have long told the story that penetration equals sex. Considering just the variety of ways women orgasm, we know this is simply not true and a harmful and limiting narrative to the possibilities of sexuality and intimacy. During your period is a perfect time to explore different types of outercourse and go beyond penetrative sex to really understand your orgasm.
Consider, guiding your partner's hands or introducing toys that compliment erogenous exploration.
This solo or partnered play may build a deeper understanding of your turn-ons as well as respect and bonding.
2. Be prepared, this could get messy…
We said ‘period sex’, you said TOWEL!
Avoid the mess by placing a towel underneath to avoid too much clean-up after.
Post-sex wipes are always good to have nearby and as usual, after partner sex, pee and shower.
3. Lubrication, lubrication, lubrication.
It’s no secret that we think that lube is a vulva’s BFF and menstruation is definitely no exception.
You might be surprised to know that this is a particularly “dry” time for vagina owners as our hormone levels have just dropped dramatically to their lowest concentration of our whole cycle. Using lube can increase the sensitivity of the vulva region while making intercourse way more pleasurable.
4. Be an eco-warrior! Save water, and shower together.
A great tip from one of our IG followers was to have shower sex while you’re on your period. Just because Aunt Flo is in town doesn’t mean you don’t get to try a new place to have sex.
Shower sex also means that the “mess” that some of you worry about won’t be an issue with the water flowing over your bodies.
5. Catch it in a cup!
Our favorite tip received, when we asked about period sex was to use a menstrual cup during masturbation. It won’t get in the way like a pad might and you won’t have to worry about blood on your sheets.
As a menstrual cup sits high up toward the cervix it won’t restrict access for shallow penetration if you wanted to stimulate your G-spot during some solo pleasure time.
It goes without saying that these are tips if you feel like trying period sex and that if your body is telling you that you’d rather rest than listen to it. The most simple way to practice self-care is to listen to your body and honor what feels right for you, this could be a great time to build intimacy in other ways too.
