Is it safe to have sex during period? Even though the medical community has given a green light on this practice, there are potential side effects you should be aware of.
Growing up I was told that it was a bad idea to have sex during your period.
The reason my mom offered was that during menstruation, women’s reproductive systems are quite sensitive and vulnerable, and hence more susceptible to infections.
Having discovered that many of the things my mom told me when I was young were neither true nor accurate, I questioned this belief, as well, then Googled and visited a number of reputable health sites.
Consensus: It’s Safe to Have Sex During Periods
It seems that in America there’s a consensus on this subject: that it’s absolutely safe to have sex during your period, though there is still a chance you may get pregnant, unless you’re taking precautions.
There are also plenty of tips on how to get comfortable with the idea, and how to keep menstruation sex less messy, etc.
So that’s the last word on the subject, right? Not quite…
Potential Side Effects of Having Sex During Period
As a student of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), I’m learning that having sexual intercourse during one’s period is an important cause of disease in women.
It can cause blood stasis and lead to amenorrhea (no period or scanty period), dysmenorrhea (painful period), menorrhagia (heavy and prolonged period), or irregular periods.
Here’s why…
During your period, your blood and Qi (energy) naturally move downwards.
With sexual arousal, though, your Qi moves upwards.
As these two opposing movements clash, they can cause a stagnation of both Qi and blood in the uterus.
And this stagnation interferes with the natural flow of menstrual blood, which can cause the various problems mentioned earlier.
I used to reject the notion that sex during your period was dangerous, even though I don’t personally enjoy it.
I thought it mostly came from cultural and religious taboos that we should be liberated from in the 21st century.
Now, however, as I’m studying Chinese medicine, I’ve begun to appreciate the reasoning behind it.
I’ve learned that during menstruation women’s bodies are more susceptible to external pathological influences, so it’s a good policy to exercise caution and take good care of ourselves during these vulnerable times.
I recognize that this is a controversial topic since most believe it’s perfectly all right to have sex during one’s period. I’m open to your thoughts and opinions. Please share them by leaving a comment.
I had sex while on my period a week ago. And now my period came back. Should I be worried?
Hi Celina, try to see if your bleeding seems like residual blood from the previous period or it’s another period, and if this happens again. It could be a cause of concern if it is recurring. Otherwise, don’t worry too much.
My husband and I had sex on the last day of my period for the first time. (We normally wait 2 days to ensure I am completely done.) However, I was cramping and read sex could ease cramps. I regret it! I am bleeding 3 days longer with dark blood. We’ve been married going on 20 years and I’ve never had sex on a last period day. I believe I disrupted my body’s natural flow. Sure the cramps ceased but not worth the days of extra bleeding 🙁
I have sex with my girlfriend at her period time with out any protection and for some minutes my body got so hot and letter stop, will it cause any harm in body?
It shouldn’t harm your body.
I had period sex with my girlfriend it was our first time having period sex but after a couple hours i started feeling weak and now i get pains around near my ribs, should i be worried??? Help!!
What if I had sex with my gf multiple times in her periods without using any precautions , what would I lead to and is there any medicine that we should take ?
I had a sex during my periods nw it’s I have miss the periods date n even thoe done the pregnancy test but it was negative.now what should I do I’m scared.please let me know I am very worried.
I Think this can be connected to endometriosis…. Research along this lines
Often during period I extremely need doing sex even boyfriend chasing me to do so.
I notice that my period inflow is little it is one day more that the total cycle of menstruation. Do u think it is because having sex during it? Even it is not each period cycle!?
Hello pls I had sex with my bf while i was on tha last day of my period and now his feeling funny pls what should I do
I had a sex during my periods nw it’s I have miss the periods date n even thoe done the pregnancy test but it was negative.now what should I do I’m scared
I had sex with my wife during her first day of periods without using condom. Is thr any problem I need to worry about.
I had sex with my husband during my periods .. After next month i missed my period i done pregncny test but it was ngtve .. Then i take medicine for menses i got menses… I would like to know that is it happens bcz i had done sex with my hubby during periods…
Gud evening ma, I had sex with my girl.. Dat day blood flowed so much bt d menses ceased dat same day.. Now am scared.. Am I safe? Cud she be pregnant? Will her menses ever flow again
I got periods when im having sex there will be any effect to me.
What is effect if I have sex druing period time
Hello , I’m on my 5th day of my cycle and I had sex last night. I was bleeding very little but I woke up today and having some mile lower abdomen pain. Should I be worried? Or is this normal?
Hi jing jin l have sex with my girlfriend in period after this I have lost my sex timing please guide me
Hi me n my boyfriend we do have sex all the time wen I’m going n my period I need to knw the effect on my boyfriend n me please help
Having sex during period is a personal choice. It should not have any effect on men. For women though, the vaginal/cervix area is more vulnerable during menstruation. So having sex at this time may cause inflammation and pain. I’d avoid it if you can. 🙂
Is it OK to have sex when you’re on your period
It’s okay to have sex when you’re on your period. But during menstruation a woman’s blood is flowing downward and the vaginal/cervix area is more vulnerable. Having sex during this time is not advisable as it can cause inflammation and pain over time. That being said, this is of course a personal choice.
I have sex during period earlier but now I intercourse with my wife but now again she having period since two month not getting pregnant actually we want pregnant now.
Please suggest me what to do .
Having sex during period is not likely to get you guys pregnant. The best time to have sex is when your wife is ovulating, which is usually mid-cycle.
I just had sex Friday, well Saturday morning around 3:30 a.m. with no protection and he finished in me. It was also approaching the second day of my period, but the next day it stopped. Should I be worried or was it bc of the sex? Please help!!!
Having sex during period can hinder the menstrual flow, causing it to stagnate (e.g.,stop). I wouldn’t worry about it for this one time. But bear that in mind next time. It’s better to wait for a day or two until you finish your period.
Monthly period doing sex any side effect for male please send me this problem
I’m not aware of the side effect of having sex during period for male, except that it can be messy. The side effect is more on the female side.
I had sex during my period today, and i feel pain in my waist,is it the cause of sex during my period.
Some women experience back tenderness, weakness or pain during menstruation. Having sex during period can strain the back area and cause pain. So yes, it’s possible.
I agree! I am married and have been struggling to heal from serious fatigue and hormonal issues for months. (since I stopped using pharmaceuticals) I am on day 41 and still waiting for my period. Flustered, bloated, cramping, emotional. I find that when I have intercourse during this time it causes as even longer wait for menstruation and definitely more pain. Thank you so much for what you do!
Emily, thank you for sharing. Yes having sex during period can stagnate the menstrual flow. This is especially a concern when your period tends to be late. I’m sure your personal experience will be helpful for other women.
Hi I did sex at the time of period by using safety is there any problem by doing this ? What precautions I have to take by avoiding the diseases which you mentioned earlier please give me the suggestion?
It sounds like the reason you have sex during period is to avoid pregnancy. This is not necessary. You can avoid the side effects of sex during period by having intercourse a few days after your period. So if your period lasts for 4 days, you can have sex from day 5 to day 10 — during this window you’re not likely to get pregnant. You can also have sex one week before your period, during which you’re also safe.
I am glad to know that, as all other things that I read were positive about it.
is there any side effects for a male when they have sex during the period of a woman??
I am not aware of the side effect for a male when having sex during the period of a woman, except that it can get messy. The side effects are more for the females.
What happens if you’re aroused during your period? Does your qi still move upwards if there’s no sex involved?
This is a great question! I know that some women get aroused during menstruation. I suppose this can cause the qi to move upward, but perhaps more subtle on an energetic level, and the effects would be much less than having a physical intercourse.
My wife mentural period flow very right for 3days and stopped and I had sex with her while on her period and she complained that her left abdomen is paining her although she had miscarriage last month November 2016 and that’s her first mentural period after the miscarriage and it flows very light and stopped,what will I do?
That’s my Gmail nonsoedoziem@gmail.com
Thanks
I had sex on my period last months and this month my period is very light even the colour of the blood is very light,should I be worried?
So you had sex during period last month, and this month your period is very light and even the color of the blood is very light, am I right? This change may or may not be caused by having sex during period. I recommend that you continue to monitor your menstrual cycles and refrain from having sex during menstruation, and see if your cycles are back to normal. If not, there may be other underlying causes which need to be figured out.
hi mam.jin
how true that if u have sex during period
time will cause HIV infection as i read it
to lots of opinions while searching to google
im so confuse, some other tells that its better but some other tells tgat
its not.. pls help thanks
I had sex on my period last months and this month my period is very light even the colour of the blood is very light,should I be worried?
can having sex while on your period change your cycle???
Dear Sara,
as you could read in the text above, there are different opinions on the subject. I must admit I never looked at the health perspectives until recently. I’m 35, made love whenever I wanted to (period or not) and never had any problem.
However, now that I’m aware of these multiple aspects, I’m glad to have a watchful eye on the matter.
That said, you can enjoy the jungle Love as you please… whilst listening to your heart and your body 🙂
Take good care of yourself!
I am two months short of my period. Me n my boyfriend had a sex prior to it n I believe its the consequence of making out duri,g my cycle. I usually suffer from this kind of months delay when we usuLly make out during. Is it normal? Please help.
Vijaya, you mean you didn’t have your periods for two months? If so, I wonder if it’s related to hormone imbalances. It’s unlikely that this is caused by making out during menstruation.
I had sex with my girlfriend and later discovered she had just started her menses a few days later I started having awkward stomach pains could it be linked.
Farai, it’s unlikely. Maybe your stomach pain is related to something else?
Dear Saan,
As Jing describes above, there are arguments for and against this – some believe there’s no harm done, others that we should maintain our menstruation time for ourselves. My advice is to follow your own instincts and intuitions on this topic, though, do use a condom either way. Do share your thoughts and experiences with other women on the forum so that we can all collectively learn.
Can wehv sex in perids with condom
Teresa,
This is likely due to the change in your hormones, as they fluctuate during and after your period. I know that towards the end of my cycle (and the beginning) my libido is also higher. In fact, I am disappointed to learn that sex during my period is not good for me. I was very happy that my boyfriend was open being sexual with me during my period (on the days that were not too heavy or painful for me.) Are you experiencing any of the symptoms during your period that Jing mentions above?
Why would my libido be higher while I’m in the middle to end of my period? This had been a pattern for several months!
Dear Jing,
I just wanted to post a comment on this but it was too long – I just wanted to say thank you for this article and I have had similar findings in my own life and my own spiritual faith. Initially, in a western culture, I assumed that keeping a woman away from sex on her period was somehow old fashioned, but I too have read and researched (and thank you for your informative affirmation) to find the complete opposite is true. How one sided we can be sometimes :). Love and blessings
Angela, I’m glad you’ve come to a similar conclusion about sex during period. Traditions often have wisdom. We need to question and examine them to find our own wisdom though 🙂
My husband and I have sex in the shower while im on my period. We are trying to get pregnant but im having problems with that. My period has been all over the place for 2 years so I told him I dont want to have sex on my period anymore incase its causing issues as my period is always brown and I get it every 2 weeks. Do you think its having sex in that time thats causing my issues
Me and my boyfriend tried it just last might and it hurt me a lot. Why is this?
I had sex while on my period a week ago. And now my period came back. Should I be worried?
Liya, what’s the color of your blood? If it’s brown, it may be residual blood from your period. If it’s red, then you need to pay attention. Track it with your Period Tracker and see if this is a one time thing or it reoccurs in the following cycles.
Once my friend was having sexs sudden his girlfriend periods started and some blood was on his anus….can any1 tell me, is it harmful to boy?
Ravi, No it’s not harmful to a boy.
How would you know the direction the Qi moves?
Interesting perspective Mary. I can see energy flowing downward during sexual arousal since energy flows down to our genitalia. For women though, I think the energy also moves up to our heart and our head hence the increased heart beat and flush and high… Lots going on, huh? Fascinating!
According a book about Ayurveda (by Pratima Raichur), Prana (qi/life energy) flows downward during sexual arousal, and upward during intellectual enlightenment. I do not know how it views sex during menses.