Sex During Periods – To Have Or Not To Have?

Sex during periods is considered to be forbidden in many cultures. In some societies women even used to be isolated during menstruation. One of the reasons was that blood could attract beasts and put the whole tribe or village in jeopardy. In other cultures a woman having periods was thought to have magic power that could harm other people.

Up to now in many religiouses sex during periods is out of the question, as a woman having her periods is "dirty" so any kind of contact with her should be prohibited. Though this religious behest concerns only judaists and muslims, dogma about "dirtiness" has become so popular, that abstinence during periods has become almost a rule, though doctors say that sex during periods does not harm sexual health. What is more, sex during periods can be even beneficial as it significantly reduces pain.

Modern medicine states that a healthy woman can have sex during periods provided both partners wash their genitals before sex and use a condom. Keep in mind that blood is a favorable growth environment for microbes.

Can sex somehow influence ovulation or stop menstruation?

If we were speaking about rabbits, the answer would be positive as in rabbits ovulation occurs after intercourse. What to humans, sex does not influence duration of periods of ovulation.

Nevertheless, sexual intercourse without a condom, especially the one that ends with strong orgasm can speed up the end of the period. The fact is that in the beginning of the period endometrium begins producing prostoglandines - chemical agents that act like hormones and influence blood vessels of endometrium. Male sperm also contains prostoglandines, so the amount of prostoglandines in female organism gets bigger after sperm gets inside the body. The organism begins getting rid of dead cells of endometrium faster and the periods end a bit earlier. It is up to you to decide whether to use a condom or not.

In some cases blood flow to genital area that occurs when a woman experiences sexual arousal can prolong the period. Sometimes even after the period ends it can begin again after sexual intercourse.

Can I get pregnant if I have sex during periods?

Usually women freely have sex during periods as they are not afraid of getting pregnant. However, the risk of getting pregnant remains. If you have a very short menstrual cycle or the period got longer than usual, your ovulation might occur during the period or immediately after it. Since sperm cells can remain alive in your body for 5-7 days, conception is possible. Also pregnancy is possible if during ovulation there were two instead of one cells released. The conclusion is simple - you should use a method of contraception during even when you are having periods.