Sex On Your Period

Yes. But like all issues surrounding sex, communication is critical. This means checking in – talking about it. Questions might include: “How do you feel during your period? Would you ever want to have sex while you’re menstruating?” or “I’m on my period right now. How do you feel about having sex while I’m menstruating?” For many folks who menstruate, sexual desire changes during different times of the menstrual cycle. For example, a person might experience increased desire during menstruation or ovulation – it all depends on the person. Be sure to talk about desires and feelings to ensure everyone is on the same page from the beginning.

No. Having sex while one or more partners are on their period is not harmful. In fact, there are a few ways in which it might be helpful. The contractions of orgasm might help relieve menstrual cramping. Sex might feel extra good because the vagina can become more lubricated from menstrual secretions. If you or your partner worry about a mess from the blood, consider spreading out a towel or having sex in the shower to minimize post-coital cleaning.

The simple answer is yes.

If a person whose body ejaculates sperm has sex with a person whose body houses ovaries, then yes, it’s possible to get pregnant at any time during a menstrual cycle. Pregnancy can happen if you have sex before, during or after your period.

The most likely time to become pregnant is through penile/vaginal sex around the time of ovulation ( when an egg is released from the ovary). Ovulation usually occurs about 14 days after the start of someone’s last period.

If someone has a perfectly regular, 28 day menstrual cycle where they ovulate every month on day 14 and their monthly bleed begins at day 23 – having penile/vaginal sex during day 23-28, when they are menstruating, has a very small chance of leading to pregnancy. However…

• Most people do not have perfectly regular cycles. Many have variations that make it difficult to know when they ovulate. People who track their cycles and only have penile/vaginal sex during days they believe are not at risk for pregnancy have a 25% chance of pregnancy – that’s a 1 in 4 chance. There are much more reliable ways to avoid pregnancy.
• Some people may experience spotting at the time of ovulation, which could be confused with a period. If they think they’re safe but are actually ovulating, they have a high chance of getting pregnant.
• Sperm can live in a vagina for up to five days. If an egg is released during that time, pregnancy could happen. Each instance of penile/vaginal intercourse extends the timeframe for live sperm to exist in the vagina.
• Many people who have sperm release a small amount of semen prior to ejaculation. While this helps with lubrication and comfort, it makes “pulling out” a less effective method of contraception since sperm can be present prior to ejaculation. Even foreplay with someone with ovaries has a chance of conception due to this pre-ejaculate fluid.

• Don’t have penile-vaginal sex.
• If you are going to have penile-vaginal sex…
  • Use barrier contraception such as an external or internal condom, diaphragm or sponge, possibly with spermicide.
  • Use a prescription method of contraception such as the pill, patch, ring, implant or IUD.
  • Control your behavior and ask your partner to control theirs:
    • Carefully track menstrual cycles to better understand normal cycles and predict ovulation.
    • Withdraw the penis from the vagina before ejaculation.
    • These methods take immense self-control and 100% consistency on the part of both partners. You can’t control your partner’s behavior, so this can be a good backup method, but we don’t recommend using one or both of these behaviors as the primary way to avoid pregnancy.
  • Any combination of the above.

If you already had penile-vaginal sex without contraception and you don’t want to get pregnant, consider Emergency Contraception (such as ella, Plan B One Step or a Copper IUD). Many of these are available at most pharmacies over the counter and are effective for up to 5 days after unprotected sex. There are more reliable methods of contraception than Emergency Contraception. Speak with your pharmacist or medical provider about contraception options that might work for you.

Based on the number of hits we have on this article – yup. But really, it doesn’t matter if other folks are doing it or not. Having sex during menstruation is a personal decision, so consider your thoughts and feelings, share them with your partner, and ask about your partner’s thoughts and feelings. If nothing else it can be another opportunity to get to know your partner and their likes, dislikes and comfort level.