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If you find yourself feeling a little more naughty between the sheets before Aunt Flo becomes a party pooper, we feel you! Many feel more impassioned during the cycle too, and get down to having sex in periods. In addition, your sex drive may ascend right before your periods due to many reasons which seem like your libido screaming out its last hurrah before the gloomy period.
To know more about what causes your sexual urge to rise, HealthShots spoke to Dr Varini N, Senior Consultant, Obstetrician and Gynaecologist, Milann Fertility and Birthing Hospital, Kumarapark, Bengaluru.
“Your sex drive or libido is affected by many factors including biological, social or psychological. It’s important to note that there is no normal when it comes to sex drive. Everyone is different and our bodies behave in different ways and our sex drives are also no exceptions.” says Dr Varini N.
Usually, in days approaching ovulation, there is a surge in a female hormone called Estrogen. Estrogen, along with another hormone called testosterone, is responsible for increased libido in women during ovulation. At this time of the cycle, women are more fertile and this helps for conception. Following ovulation, another female hormone called progesterone increases. Progesterone causes bloating and increased water retention in women, It has also been noted that libido/sex drive decreases during the post-ovulatory phase. In the premenstrual and menstrual phases of the cycle, progesterone hormone levels dip. This causes an increase in the sexual drive for many women.
“During menstrual bleeding or periods, women are less fertile. The fact that their chance of becoming pregnant is low gives women a sense of freedom. Hence, some women may indulge in more sexual activity during menstruation. These are the hormonal, social, and psychological factors responsible for increased sex drive during menstrual bleeding/periods,” says Dr Varini N.
Therefore, ladies may feel a little hot in the sack during menstruation as their chances of becoming pregnant is low during that period. Some women also find sex in periods more pleasurable. This is the psychological factor behind increased sex drive during menstruation.
However, women who are taking hormonal contraceptive pills do not have a natural variation of hormones during their menstrual cycles. Hence, their libido and sex drive are decreased throughout the cycle, suggests Dr Varini N.
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