Have you ever experienced an insane desire to have sex after menstruating?
You’re not alone.
Several factors influence how horny we are at each point in time.
These include stress, hormone levels, the way we view our bodies, our physical health, and the availability of partners.
Many women become very horny right after their period finishes.
In this article, we explore the reasons behind this horniness after your period and answer other frequently asked questions about the menstrual cycle, ovulation, and sex drive.
Why am I so horny right after my period?
Arousal is not cyclical or limited to a particular timeframe. You can feel aroused at any time.
But why do some women experience very intense feelings of lust right after their period? We discuss some possible reasons below.
1) Shifting hormone levels
The cyclical rise and fall of estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone is a feature of the female menstrual cycle.
These hormones are at their peak before your time of the month. However, they crash just before your period.
While progesterone is a stabilizing hormone that suppresses libido, estrogen stimulates sexual desire.
Progesterone is the lowest during and right after your period. Meanwhile, your desire-enhancing estrogen levels start rising after your flow ends.
These may be reasons why you have a higher sexual appetite and feel more horny during or after your period.
Another hormone to consider is testosterone. While it is mostly seen as a male hormone, testosterone is present in small amounts in women.
Some research suggests that testosterone increases women’s desire for sex. Its rate slightly increases just before menstruation, which could lead to an increase in sexual desire.
2) Pain relief from period cramps
The endorphins released during orgasms may help relieve cramps in some women.
A craving for this relief could boost libido during your period and last up until after your period.
It all comes down to individual preferences, however. Some women want sex for relief while they are bleeding and in pain. For others, period sex is the last thing on their minds during this time.
3) Your psychology
It’s possible that the desire to make love after your period has entirely psychological roots.
If you’re someone who totally avoids having sex during your period for some reason or another, you may feel an intense desire kick in when it finishes, and your mind tells you it’s time to let the cat loose.
Also, breaching the taboo of not having sex during your period could be exciting for some, which may increase libido.
4) Decreased fertility
The probability of getting pregnant during and after your period is low. For some, this decreased fear of becoming pregnant can be a libido boost.
However, it’s important to note that becoming pregnant while on your period is a possibility – no matter how slim the chances are.
So, you should continue to use all the necessary precautions while menstruating if you don’t want to conceive.
5) Social factors
Social factors are strong determinants of sex drive, and various social factors may affect how horny you feel after your period.
For example, timing is an important contributor to when a person feels horny.
A study showed that the chances of young college-age females having sex were double and sometimes triple the chances on weekdays.
This is probably due to conflicting schedules during weekdays and more free time during weekends.
So, if your period ends at a time that is favorable for sex, you may experience a spike in your sex drive.
Also, if you are in a new relationship, your sex drive is more likely to be higher regardless of which phase of your cycle you’re in.
Other social factors that may contribute to your libido include how happy your relationship is, whether you are trying to have a baby or not, etc.
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When is a woman’s libido highest during her menstrual cycle?
There are four phases that occur during your menstrual cycle – the menstrual phase, follicular phase, ovulation, and luteal phase.
Your body goes through various changes and produces different levels of various hormones during each of these phases.
While everybody is different, most women experience their highest level of libido at the end of the follicular phase and during the ovulation phase.
One review of studies showed that women had a greater interest in sex and initiated sex more right before ovulation.
Considering that this is your most fertile phase, it makes biological sense that you’ll get a strong urge to have sex and reproduce at this time.
An interplay of hormonal factors may be responsible for feeling more horny during ovulation.
Estrogen peaks about 24 hours after ovulation occurs. Oxytocin, often called the “love hormone,” also spikes around this time.
In addition, luteinizing hormone – a hormone that triggers ovulation – is at its highest during ovulation.
The boost in libido may, therefore, be because of a combination of these hormones. However, more research is needed to confirm this theory.
Conclusion
You can get horny at any time and at any point in your cycle. However, natural fluctuations in hormonal levels may contribute to you feeling sex-crazed and horny, specifically after your period.
Other possible reasons include pain relief, timing, and decreased chances of getting pregnant.
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