If sex drives followed the perfectly-laid plan of your menstrual cycle, then you'd feel your sexiest around 10 to 13 days after your period ends, because that's when you'd be ovulating. And, from an evolutionary standpoint at least, the base function of sex is all about making babies. So, then why do some people get super horny when they're on their periods?
Periods are the time of the month when your uterus sheds the endometrial lining that has built up over the last 28 days (or more, or less, because periods are all different), which doesn't exactly create an ideal environment for a fetus to set up shop. You can get pregnant on your period, but it's much less likely than any other time of the month and definitely not a time when your body is actively encouraging procreation. So, it turns out that the ebbs and flows of sex drive aren't as simple as evolution would predict.
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How do periods impact sex drive?
While science hasn't found one solid answer for why some people feel extra frisky during their period, it at least partially comes down to hormones. “Menstrual cycles can impact libido due to hormonal fluctuations,” Avril Louise Clarke, a clinical sexologist and intimacy coordinator at ERIKALUST, tells R29.
"During a normal menstrual cycle, most women will feel a libido surge during ovulation,” says Nicole Bullock, D.O., a board-certified OB/GYN in Texas. “This makes sense from a reproductive standpoint.” Right before ovulation, someone who menstruates has their highest levels of estrogen, which makes you feel good. "The week of ovulation is the week you feel like a queen and could save the world," Dr. Bullock says. Your estrogen is kicking your sex drive into high gear.
On the flip side, Clarke explains that estrogen is at a low during the week of your period, as is progesterone, the hormone that prepares your body for pregnancy. So, it'd make sense for your libido to be at an all-month low during your period, too, right? After all, the reason libido starts to wane as women get older is because their hormones are also waning, Dr. Bullock says. Turns out, it’s not that cut and dry.
Why do people get horny on their period?
Despite low estrogen and progesterone levels potentially leading to decreased sex drive in theory, plenty of people feel particularly horny during their menstruation. “Some people experience heightened arousal during their period due to increased blood flow to the pelvic area and heightened sensitivity,” Clarke says.
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Plus, unlike when someone goes through menopause, not all hormones wane during your period. You actually experience a small surge in testosterone. While testosterone is known stereotypically as the hormone that makes men want to have sex all the time, people who menstruate have low levels of testosterone, too. So the slight uptick in testosterone during menses could cause increased libido for some people. Of course, there may be other factors, too, including the psychological effects of knowing that you’re less likely to get pregnant during period sex, and the benefit of added lubrication, Dr. Bullock says.
As to who will and won’t get horny during their period, Clarke says it really depends. “Some people do feel an increased horniness during their menstrual cycle, while others do not but may experience it more during ovulation periods,” she says. “To each their own!”
No matter the reason, there are some clear benefits to having period sex. Reason number one is that it makes you feel good. (See also: masturbating on your period.) "Having increased sex drive during menses may not make sense from a reproductive standpoint," Dr. Bullock says, “[but] maybe it's for our relationship or just to feel good." After all, we’ve long moved past the idea that sex is just for the sake of making babies.