Is It Safe To Have Sex During Your Period? Here's What To Know

Despite it being 2024 and having seen period sex in various films — most recently we all got an eye-full of period cunnilingus in "Saltburn" — the taboos around period sex persist. It's through this persistence and our culture's inability to just get over it, that we're still having the conversation about whether or not having sex during your period is safe. So, let's just answer that right now: Yes; it's absolutely safe to have sex when you're menstruating.

"If the patient is comfortable with it, then it's great to continue having sex throughout the month and not have to take a break," physician assistant Tara Ford told Time. "It's perfectly natural and safe for both partners." While it might be natural and safe, it doesn't mean that there aren't precautions that should be taken. For example, no matter what the rumors around the schoolyard were when you were in high school and sex ed wasn't teaching you enough, a menstruating body can still get pregnant. Repeat: a menstruating body can still get pregnant. 

But let's back things up a bit and start at the beginning. Period sex is safe, but only when you take the steps to make it so. 

If you and your partner don't have any issues with blood, then there are quite a few pros that come with having sex during this part of your menstrual cycle. One of the biggest bonuses is that period sex can help relieve menstrual cramps, thanks to the hormones that are released during orgasms. When you climax, your uterine muscles contract and release, which can ease the tension of cramps. This contracting can also shorten some periods because it's flushing out the uterine lining more quickly with orgasms lending a helping hand. Granted, this pro is great, but don't expect it to cut your period length in half; it's closer to a day or so, if that. 

Period sex also offers natural lubrication which is fantastic for those who suffer from vaginal dryness (VD). Contrary to the belief that vaginal dryness only affects people who are menopausal, a 2019 study published in EPMA Journal found that age doesn't play a role in VD. What does play a role are medications that zap the vagina clean of its natural moisture, like antidepressants, allergy meds, and even some birth control pills. Stress, too, because it affects hormonal levels by increasing cortisol, can be a culprit. But when you have sex on your period, the lubrication is automatically part of the equation and you don't have to worry about possible friction-related pain — or if you have enough lube. 

The biggest con about period sex is that the uterus is open, and therefore susceptible to bacteria and viruses. What this means is that, even if you and your partner are fluid-bonded and don't usually use condoms, period sex is the time for them. "Risk for transmission of HIV and other STIs is higher at certain points of the menstrual cycle, including during the menstrual period," senior scientist at The Kinsey Institute William L. Yarber told Metro UK. 

There's also the unwanted pregnancy factor. Whoever started the rumor that period sex was somehow a "get out of jail free" card was deeply misinformed. "Some people erroneously think of the menstrual period as a safe time to have sex because pregnancy is less likely," added Yarber. "However, there is still some risk of getting pregnant during menses." What some people don't realize, according to the Mayo Clinic, is that sperm can live up to five days inside the body. If you have irregular menstrual cycles or one that's relatively short, there's a chance that ejaculation from five days ago could still be hanging around waiting to fertilize an egg.

So, while period sex is safe and some thoroughly enjoy it, it's not free of consequences. Considering what abortion access looks like today in the U.S. and the STI epidemic in the States, per the Centers for Disease Control, it's best for everyone if you play by the period sex rules.