If you’re feeling extra horny right before your period, don’t worry – it’s totally normal. It’s a result of hormonal fluctuations that happen throughout your menstrual cycle.
During the follicular phase, oestrogen and testosterone are at their highest levels, gearing you up for ovulation. But just before your period, they plummet to enable your uterus to shed its lining and trigger your period.
Hormones
Women’s hormone levels fluctuate throughout their menstrual cycle, and some experts believe this can contribute to heightened libido before periods. Specifically, the day before your period, oestrogen and testosterone levels plummet to enable the uterus to shed its lining and prepare for ovulation. But a day or two into your bleeding, oestrogen begins to rise once again, and a recent study found that this can reactivate sexual desire.
As for the rest of the menstrual cycle, many women report feeling their libido is highest right before ovulation (about week three of a four-week menstrual cycle). This may have to do with that nagging evolutionary drive to procreate. And, as Lehmiller explains, “Ovulation is a five to six-day period of high fertility, so it makes sense that we feel our lust at its peak.”
Of course, the reason you’re feeling horny might be a little more complicated than just which phase of your menstrual cycle you’re in. Other factors, such as stress or the length of your relationship, could also affect your sex drive. If your libido is consistently higher than usual, however, it’s worth getting checked out to see what might be contributing to this. You can always reach out to a sex therapist for support if you’re worried you’re being affected by hormones or other factors beyond your control.
Lifestyle
Many women experience a sudden boost in their libido in the days before their period. This is known as ‘period horniness’ and it’s thought that hormone changes are to blame. During the follicular phase, your levels of estrogen and testosterone are at their highest, so it makes sense that this would increase your libido.
Your body is also preparing for ovulation during this time, which may increase your desire to have sex. However, if you don’t have sex during this time it’s unlikely that you will get pregnant (although pregnancy can occur at any point during the month).
Although having sex while on your period can cause cramps and isn’t advised, some people find that it helps reduce their period pain and increases their libido. This is because during an orgasm blood rushes to the genital area, which can help ease some of the painful contractions that cause menstrual cramps.
There isn’t much research into why some people feel more horny than others at different points in their menstrual cycle. But, it’s likely that the interplay between hormonal shifts and emotional states plays a role. This means that your sex drive can change from week to week, but it’s totally normal. Just remember to take all the same precautions for pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections when engaging in sexual activity at any time of the month.
Pregnancy
Whether or not pregnancy makes you feel horny has a lot to do with your hormones. It’s normal for libido to increase or decrease throughout the month and it can be affected by everything from cervical changes to extra lubrication, but most women find that their sex drive goes up in the run-up to ovulation.
During the follicular phase, which is the first part of your menstrual cycle leading up to ovulation, oestrogen and testosterone levels are at their highest and can give you a serious boost in sex drive. Plus, the vulva is engorged with blood, making it even more sensitive and orgasm-inducing.
After ovulation, your body moves into the luteal phase where progesterone levels drop. While sex drive usually stays high in the first trimester, many women begin to suffer from the discomforts of PMS (menstrual cramps, irritability and fatigue) in the second and third trimesters. This can make you less sexy, although your interest in sex may return as the pain and physical limitations of late pregnancy subside.
Stress
If you’re a woman, chances are that you feel like your libido changes with the phases of your menstrual cycle. Some days you feel super horny, while other times sex feels like the last thing on your mind. And while it’s easy to assume that hormone levels are what dictate these feelings, research suggests there is a bit more to it than that.
One theory is that women feel sexiest in the days before their period because they are closer to ovulation. This is because the follicular phase of the cycle, when LH and FSH peak, prepares the body for conception. From an evolutionary standpoint, sex is all about making babies, so it’s no wonder that we would feel more inclined to have it around this time.
Orgasms can also play a role in this, as they cause blood to rush to the genital area. This can reduce menstrual cramps and help relieve PMS symptoms. In addition, orgasms stimulate oxytocin and endorphins, which can make you feel good and help you connect with your partner.
Of course, there are other factors that can influence our libido, including sleep and overall health. While having a high sex drive at certain times of the month may be normal, it’s important to take precautions to protect against pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STDs). If you’re curious about how your libido relates to your menstrual cycle, try tracking with Natural Cycles. It will give you insights into your unique pattern of cervical mucus, mood, and other symptoms.
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