If you’ve ever experienced bleeding after sex (or even during it), you might have automatically chalked it up to Aunt Flo visiting early. But the truth is, your menstrual cycle depends on a delicate balance of hormones, and sex doesn’t directly affect the timing or regularity of your period.
However, sex may have the potential to speed up your period by triggering the following: 1. Climaxing.
1. Climaxing
The menstrual cycle relies on a delicate balance of hormones to prepare your uterus for ovulation (if you’re not pregnant) and then shedding the thickened lining. While sex can rev up heart rate and increase blood flow to your pelvic area, it can’t directly impact the timing of these changes or kick-start your period. (1)
If you’re already in the luteal phase of your cycle and experience an orgasm, having sex may speed up your body’s process by encouraging your uterus to contract and start shedding its lining faster. However, that only happens if you’re about to get your period anyway. (2)
A climax is the most intense, decisive point of something, such as a competition or a story. It’s also the name of the most intense sexual sensation. The word has been around since the 1530s and was first used in a literary sense in 1870, thanks to 19th century dramatist Gustav Freytag’s namesake pyramid. It gained popularity among sex educators in the 1920s and is now used to describe sexual pleasure during orgasm. (3)
It’s easy to confuse the feeling of orgasm with a climax, but there’s a difference. During a live-streamed class hosted by Bustle, sex educator Lucia Paxton explained that an orgasm occurs when your pelvic floor muscles contract and you feel a wave of sensation that starts at your genitals and travels through your body. A climax is a few seconds of pelvic floor muscle contractions that you can achieve with or without sex.
2. Hormones
Regardless of what you’ve heard, there is no evidence that sexual arousal can cause your period to change its normal length or start on an earlier day. But it may have an effect on some of the hormone-based characteristics of your menstrual cycle. For example, sex can trigger a surge of oxytocin and other hormones that affect your reproductive health. It also increases uterine contractions, which can lead to menstrual bleeding.
If you’re prone to irregular periods, regular intimate activity can help your hormones settle into their groove and play by the rules of your menstrual cycle. In addition, sex can cause orgasms, which can trigger rhythmic uterine contractions similar to the prostaglandins released during ovulation. This can speed up the process of sloughing the uterine lining and initiate your monthly period.
However, if you’re getting your period early or spotting before you have your period and it doesn’t seem to be related to sex, it’s a sign that something else is going on in your body. For example, it could be a sign of an infection like chlamydia or gonorrhea. If you’re noticing these symptoms, see a doctor as soon as possible. They can prescribe medication to treat the infection and prevent future infections.
3. Orgasm
Although some people think sex can make their period come early, there isn’t much scientific evidence to support this. Your menstrual cycle is controlled by your body’s hormone levels, which can fluctuate due to stress, illness, certain birth control, and health conditions like polycystic ovary syndrome or thyroid disorders.
The only way sex can trigger your period is if it’s already close to starting. And that’s only if you’re in the midst of orgasms and nearing your regular period’s start date, according to Leah Millheiser, MD, director of the Female Sexual Medicine Program at Stanford University.
During orgasm, your pelvic floor and vagina muscles tighten up with a rhythmic contraction, causing you to feel a burst of pleasure in your genital area. As the orgasm ends, blood flows away from your engorged sex organs, and your heart rate, blood pressure, and respiration return to normal.
Orgasm is different for everyone, so don’t worry if you don’t orgase during your sex life. You can still enjoy sexual arousal, even without orgasm, by enjoying stroking and other sexual activity that makes you sexy. It’s also important to use protection when having sex, so you can avoid getting a sexually transmitted infection, like chlamydia, gonorrhea, or syphilis. Bleeding after sex can also be a sign of an infection or disease, such as pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). If you’re experiencing these symptoms, see your doctor right away.
4. Vaginal bleeding
A period is a time of heavy bleeding each month that happens because of the normal menstrual cycle. It usually starts about every 28 days and lasts for a few days. Sometimes, women get periods more often than this or less frequently. Some women also bleed in between their periods, which is called abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB).
When you bleed between your periods, it’s usually light and may be pink or brown. The bleeding comes from the uterus, vagina, or cervix. It’s not harmful and is usually harmless, but it can be confusing and annoying. You can use sanitary pads or tampons to absorb the blood. You can find a variety of sizes of tampons, including ones with an applicator that you stick in the back of your underwear or those without one and that you insert with your fingers.
Bleeding in the vagina can be a sign of pregnancy, especially during early pregnancy when it’s sometimes called “spotting.” It is normal to bleed slightly during the first trimester of a pregnancy because the fertilized egg implants in your womb. However, you should always see your doctor if you are bleeding between your periods to make sure that it is not a serious problem.
Many things can cause a woman’s period to start early, like stress or using birth control incorrectly. Trying to induce your period with pills or herbs can be dangerous and shouldn’t be done without a doctor’s supervision.
