Ease Your PMS Symptoms With Sex
There are a number of reasons why sex during your period or at the height of PMS may seem undesirable and even unsafe. But period sex is quite safe — and could even help you feel better.
Cramps, bloating, disturbed sleep, and interference with your sex life — sometimes it seems like there’s no end to the list of PMS effects. But as PMS symptoms retreat once menstruation actually starts, you might begin to feel more like yourself and wonder if having sex during your period is okay. Sex during periods is actually safe — it’s a question of personal preference, possibly depending on how heavy your period bleeding is.
Sex Drive and the Menstrual Cycle
Researchers know that women’s interest in sex — usually assessed by their willingness to initiate sex — peaks in the days before and after ovulation. Ovulation takes place about 14 days after the start day of your last period, so by the time PMS symptoms begin — usually a week to a few days before your nextperiod begins — you may not be thinking about sex as much as you were a week earlier.
For the persistence of the species, our sex drive is highest for women during their fertile period, during ovulation,” says obstetrician-gynecologist Jennie Campbell Leslie, MD, assistant professor at the Oregon Health and Science University in Portland. Then libido drops, reaching its lowest point during your period.there are “100 other things that affect a woman’s libido, from sleep and stress to how she feels about her partner.”
PMS and Sex
Women with PMS may have a number of reasons for not being interested in having sex at that time of the month. PMS symptoms such as bloating, headaches, breast tenderness, and cramping can make the idea of sex less physically appealing. Additionally, the emotional symptoms of PMS, such as irritability, depression, and stress, may also make the prospect of sex unattractive. But sex can actually be a good way for women to ease some of their PMS symptoms, such as anxiety and tension. Research has shown that the body’s stress response is usually decreased when a woman is aroused.
“The benefit would be that perhaps being sexually active would relax a woman and make her feel more comfortable,” says Leslie, adding however that women who have cramps might find that sex and orgasm actually make cramps worse temporarily, as the chemicals released during orgasm stimulate uterine contractions.
Period Sex: Playing It Safe
An inevitable question for a woman and her partner, at some point in their lives together, is whether to have sex during her period. Sex during a period is as safe as it is at any other time, says Leslie. The decision about having sex will be entirely personal, based on both partners’ comfort level.
There are a few important points to keep in mind if you should decide to have sex during periods:
- Be cautious about pregnancy. It’s rare, but women can conceive during their period. If you don’t want to get pregnant, be sure to practice birth control even when you are on your period.
- Be cautious about sexually transmitted diseases. You are not at a greater risk for catching STDs during your period, but you are still at risk. Period sex still requires latex condoms for protection from infection. Women who have HIV should probably refrain from sex during period bleeding because even with a condom the sheer amount of blood present makes transmission much more likely.
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- Article by : Toyin Joladeyo
