Having sex on your period: Yea or nay?
Some women like it, and others are repulsed by the idea.
A recent survey of about 95,000 people in more than 200 countries looked at our attitudes about getting it on during menstruation. It found that about 15 percent of women have sex during their periods. About 49 percent of us don’t let anyone “down there” while we’re menstruating, but 41 percent say they focus on their partner’s pleasure instead. Finally, 21 percent avoid all contact including behavior not related to their genitals. The survey found that 21 percent of genderqueer and nonbinary women were more likely to engage in their usual sexual behaviors while having their periods.
The survey was conducted by Clue and The Kinsey Institute.
Keeping Sex Safe–Every Day of the Month
Not everyone is playing it safe while having sex while they are on their periods. Here are some interesting figures from the survey:
- 64 percent used a condom when they weren’t bleeding, but 49 percent didn’t use protection while bleeding.
- 30 percent who didn’t use condoms while bleeding were less concerned about pregnancy.
- One in three women are less concerned about contracting sexually transmitted infections (STIs) while menstruating.
Period Sex…Is it Safe?
Experts go back and forth as to whether or not period sex is safe. There are a few products out there, though, that can at least make it less messy.
“It is imperative that women do not have intercourse during their menstrual cycle,” said Kristen N. Burris, an acupuncturist and natural women’s health practitioner from Idaho. Western medical doctors may say it’s fine, but she said that it goes against ancient medicine.
It is also widely cited that you’re more likely to get an STI during your period. And despite what others say, you still can get pregnant if you have sex while you’re bleeding.
Mary L. Rosser, M.D., a gynecologist at Columbia University, explained it well. She told Health that a widened cervix during your period can leave you prone to letting bacteria and viruses up into the cervix and uterus. While you’re bleeding, your vagina has a less acidic and more alkaline environment, which gives microbes an easier chance at thriving.
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