- Experts say hormones and heightened sensitivity could be to blame
- Sexual desire is highest during ovulation, but can remain high during menstruation.
- READ MORE: What you should eat during each phase of your menstrual cycle
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It’s no secret that your emotions change during your period, causing you to become more irritable or sensitive.
But there’s another effect you may notice during that whispered-about time of the month: you feel like having sex more often.
From an evolutionary perspective, it doesn’t make much sense since you are not at your peak fertility.
However, many women report increased libido and pleasure during their period.
Avril Louise Clarke, a clinical sexologist, said it is a mix between increased vaginal sensitivity and lubrication, while others said the psychological effect of believing you can’t get pregnant during menstruation can increase sexual desire.
The psychological effect of knowing that you are less likely to get pregnant by having sex during menstruation could also play a role.
During a menstrual cycle of approximately 28 days, women experience four stages, including the menstrual, follicular, ovulatory, and luteal phases. During each, hormones rise and fall, affecting sex drive and desire.
Mrs. Clarke said Refinery 29 that increased arousal during the menstrual phase (when a woman has her period) could be due to increased blood flow to the pelvic area as the body sheds the uterine lining, resulting in increased sensitivity and more vaginal lubrication, leading to a more pleasurable experience. sex.
The psychological effect of knowing that you are less likely to get pregnant by having sex during menstruation could also play a role, Dr. Nicole Bullock, a Texas-based obstetrician and gynecologist, told R29.
While it’s much less likely to conceive during your period, it’s a common myth that you can’t get pregnant.
Additionally, women may also experience a small increase in testosterone, Dr. Bullock added.
Considered the male hormone that increases sexual desire in men, women also have this hormone, although in lower doses.
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When it increases while a woman menstruates, it can make women want more sex.
Increased testosterone is part of natural hormonal fluctuations and is believed to play a role in fertility and the desire to have more sex in order to conceive.
While some women report increased desire during their period, most will feel an increase during ovulation (14 days before the start of menstruation), when estrogen is highest.
Higher levels of estrogen are associated with increased sexual desire and vaginal lubrication.
Ovulation is when the body releases an egg into the fallopian tubes, where it waits to be fertilized by sperm.
Dr. Bullock said that increased sexual desire during this phase “makes sense from a reproductive standpoint.”
There are many reasons why a woman’s libido fluctuates during her cycle, but for those who enjoy sex during their period, there are many benefits, according to Heathline.
Orgasms can relieve cramps and sex can improve mood, combating the irritability that can accompany menstruation.
Having your period can also provide more lubrication, making sex more pleasurable.
Sex can also affect the length of your periods. Upon orgasm, the muscles of the uterus contract, which can expel uterine contents more quickly and shorten menstruation.