Intercourse during a woman’s period has been a common taboo throughout the world, in many different cultures and time periods. In some societies, women were isolated from the rest of the community during the menses. One reason for this is that blood may attract predators, and the society did not want to put the entire tribe or village at risk. Another is that women were thought to have special powers during “that time of the month.”

Men are notorious for their aversion to anything concerning “woman troubles”, such as periods. We don’t want to be at the store when women buy tampons, and we don’t want our medicine cabinets stacked with panty liners. But many people – both men and women – don’t mind having sex while she is on her period. So what is the verdict? Is sex during a period gross or acceptable?

It is true that some women are more passionate during their periods. The surge of hormones that comes with menstruation can make her more inclined toward sex, and she might even be able to achieve orgasm much easier. Sex during periods is also healthy for a woman; because the orgasm releases some of the muscular tension in the vagina, and will also “clean out” all excess fluids that might build up during the use of a tampon or pad. This will relieve cramps significantly and make her feel better during her period.

The problem is that, no matter how you look at it, sex during periods is messy. Usually, having sex on an old towel or sheet will prevent anything else from becoming stained, but the thought might repulse one or both partners. Some women are truly uncomfortable with the idea of their partners becoming privy to one of the most feminine of experiences. Likewise, some men simply don’t want to know about it.

One of the most effective ways to have sex during periods while discouraging the less appealing aspects of the act is to have sex in the shower, where any blood or other fluids are washed instantly down the drain. This eliminates the need for a lengthy clean-up and can allow both men and women to forget about the period itself and focus on sex.

A lot of people think that if a girl has sex during her period, she can’t get pregnant. But it is possible for a girl to get pregnant while she is bleeding. This can happen for a couple of reasons:

Not all vaginal bleeding is the result of a menstrual period. Sometimes a girl will have a small amount of vaginal bleeding at the time of ovulation — the time when she is most fertile. During ovulation, an egg is released from one of the ovaries and travels down a fallopian tube to the uterus. It’s common for girls who are ovulating to have some vaginal bleeding that can be mistaken for a period

Sometimes ovulation can occur before the bleeding from a girl’s period has stopped, or it may occur within a few days after her period is over. Sperm can fertilize an egg for several days after ejaculation. So in both cases, having sex before the period is finished can result in pregnancy.