Sex during period: How is sex and your cycle connected?
Karolina Wilde
Dr. Danielle Perro
Follows NCĀ° Editorial Policy
At Natural Cycles, our mission is to empower you with the knowledge you need to take charge of your health. At Cycle Matters, we create fact-checked, expert-written content that tackles these topics in a compassionate and accessible way. Read more...
Key takeaways
- Having sex during your period is mostly safe, but it may increase your risk of contracting STIs if you don’t use a barrier method as protection [1]
- There's no strong evidence that sex causes your period to start early or prolong it
- If you have a very short cycle, there's a small chance you may get pregnant if you have unprotected sex during your period [2]
- Having sex during your period is a completely personal choice, and may have benefits such as reduced menstrual cramps, better sleep, and improved mood
Choosing to have sex during your period is a highly individual choice. Generally, sex during your period is safe for most people, and as long as you and your partner(s) are open to it and you feel comfortable, there's no need to avoid it. In fact, there may even be reasons to have sex during this time. Here's everything you need to know about having sex while on your period, including risks, benefits, and how it may affect your cycle.
Does sex affect your menstrual cycle?
Sex may affect our menstrual cycles. Our menstrual cycles are controlled by cyclical changes of hormones in our bodies over the course of 21-35 days (however long our individual cycles are) [3, 4]. There's no strong scientific evidence that directly shows an influence of sex on these fluctuations. However, there's some evidence that suggests there may be a difference in cycles amongst sexually active people and non-sexually active people.
A study published in 2014, that followed 259 regularly menstruating women aged 18 to 44 years who weren't using hormonal contraception, found that sexually active women had higher levels of certain reproductive hormones compared to women who weren't sexually active. Here’s a few interesting stats the research uncovered:
- Estrogen levels were 15% higher in sexually active women
- Progesterone levels after ovulation were 41% higher
- Luteinizing hormone (LH) levels during ovulation were 23% higher
However, researchers found no difference between the groups when it came to other hormones such as FSH (follicle-stimulating hormone) and testosterone. Also, sexually active women were less likely to have anovulatory cycles (cycles when no ovulation occurs) [5].
A more recent study, published in 2022, followed 530 women for a year and studied 2,564 cycles to compare the menstrual cycles of sexually active and inactive people and found a few interesting differences:
- Sexually active women had longer cycles (30.1 days on average compared to 29.1 days)
- Sexually active women had a longer luteal phase of their cycle (11.4 days vs. 10.8)—a longer post-ovulation phase is considered a sign of better fertility
- Premenstrual spotting was more common in cycles without sex [6]
Why do these findings matter? Well, based on findings from these two studies, cycles without sex had different menstrual cycle characteristics and demonstrated fewer signs of peak fertility. However, more research is needed to make any meaningful conclusions on whether and how exactly sex affects menstrual cycles.
Is it safe to have sex during your period?
Generally, it's completely safe to have sex during menstruation. Whether or not you choose to will depend on your preferences, how you feel at this time, and how open you and your partner(s) are to the idea. Some people enjoy sex during all times of the cycle, while others find period sex to be messy, or they may not be in the mood due to discomfort that comes with bleeding, so they tend to avoid it.
Side effects & risks
Having unprotected sex with a partner(s) whose sexual history or STI test (sexually transmitted infections) results you don’t know always carries the risk of contracting an STI. During your period, the risk of transmission is even higher: unprotected sex during your period involves exposure to blood, which can carry infections like HIV [7] and other STIs.
To ensure you're minimizing your risk of contracting an STI while still enjoying period sex with partner(s) where they or you haven’t been checked yet, you should use a barrier method such as a male condom or a dental dam.
If you're using tampons during your period, make sure you remove them before you have sex. Keeping the tampon inside during intercourse can push it deeper into vagina, which may increase the chances of toxic shock syndrome. You may need to visit a doctor to get the tampon removed, so avoid leaving it inside your body during period sex.
Leaving menstrual discs in during penetrative sex is okay and should be safe. However, if you wear a menstrual cup, it’s recommended to remove it prior to sex, too.
Can you get pregnant during your period?
While it's extremely rare to get pregnant after having sex during your period, it's still possible if you have a short cycle [2]. You see, the sperm can live in the female reproductive tract for up to five days. If you have a short cycle and have sex at the end of your period, the sperm and the egg may still meet even days after you've had unprotected sex. On top of that, if you have shorter cycles and irregular periods, ovulation can be harder to track, which may further increase the likelihood of pregnancy if you’re having unprotected sex during your period [2].
Can sex delay periods?
No. There's no strong evidence that having sex before your period starts could delay menstruation or force it to start earlier [8]. Generally, it's normal for our period length to vary up to 6 days [4]. Most often, the reasons why a period may be late are high stress, pregnancy, hormonal imbalances, health conditions such as PCOS, perimenopause, weight fluctuation (gain or loss), and hormonal contraception [9, 10, 11]
Does having sex affect your period pain?
Potentially, yes. During sex and orgasms, feel-good hormones like oxytocin are released, which may act as natural painkillers and reduce menstrual cramps for some people [12]. Also, research shows that sexual activity can lead to partial or complete relief of other painful conditions, like headaches in people who experience migraines [13]. However, there is very limited high-quality evidence to suggest a direct link between sex and period pain relief, and more research is needed to understand this.
If you feel a desire to have sex and feel comfortable engaging in sexual activities solo or with partner(s) during your period, then there's no harm in having fun. If you notice temporary relief from your period symptoms during sex, then all the better!
Benefits of sex during your period
Having sex and experiencing orgasms may have a positive effect on your well-being, which may feel even more beneficial during your period, where sleep can be disturbed, and mood may be lower [14, 15]:
- Stress control: Engaging in sexual activity and being sexually aroused more generally causes the release of hormones like oxytocin, which promote relaxation and reduce stress hormones such as cortisol [16].
- Reduced cramps: The feel-good hormones that are released during sex and orgasms may act as natural pain relief and reduce menstrual cramps [12].
- Better sleep: Research shows that having an orgasm during partnered sex or masturbation before going to bed helps people fall asleep faster and have better quality sleep [17].
- Better wellbeing: A cross-sectional study found that engaging in sexual activities 1 to 2 times per week can have a positive effect on mental health and reduce the chances of developing depression [18].
Whilst some people will experience benefits of having sex during their period and find it an enjoyable experience during this time, for others, it might not be a priority or feel good for them during this point in their cycle. If that’s you, that’s okay!
How does your menstrual cycle affect your sex drive?
It's normal for our sex drive to fluctuate depending on which part of our cycle we're in and which hormones take the lead.
- Follicular Phase: There's an increase in our estrogen levels, which may boost our sex drive [19].
- Ovulation: Around the middle of our cycle, we experience a peak in estrogen and a surge in luteinizing hormone (LH). “A peak in estrogen and a surge in luteinizing hormone (LH) can lead to heightened libido and, for some, increased confidence,” explains Natural Cycles Advisory Board Member Dr. Sarah Oreck.
- Post-ovulatory phase: Once ovulation has occurred, estrogen levels drop and progesterone takes the lead, which may lead to a decrease in sexual desire [19].
A small study found that some women report having no sexual desire for sex during the menstrual phase of their cycle due to pain and discomfort that comes with bleeding, while others report no changes to their desire, and they continue to have sex as usual even while they bleed [20].
More than a period tracker
At Natural Cycles, we believe knowledge is power — especially when it comes to your health and body. Whether you're curious about the connection between sex and your cycle, you're looking for a hormone-free birth control option, or support on your pregnancy journey, our app can help you track your cycle and better understand your reproductive health. Why not try Natural Cycles today and find out if it's a good fit for you?
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