There Are A Lot Of Good Reasons To Masturbate On Your Period

If there's one thing that's consistent about our menstruation cycles, it's actually that they're inconsistent. How you feel during your period can vary drastically from month to month, and you can experience a range of sensations, emotions, pain and pleasure.

One month, you might feel crampy and bloated and just want to curl up in bed — and other months, you might actually feel super sexy, and like your sex drive is higher than ever. In fact, it's pretty common for people to find themselves feeling particularly sexually charged during their period.

For some, period sex can be an uncomfortable thing, mentally and physically, and something you'd prefer to avoid. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't get some sexual pleasure if that's what your body is after. So if you want to masturbate during your period, there’s absolutely no reason not to — and in fact, it has some unique benefits that might just make it a really healthy thing to do.

Firstly, there are the usual benefits of masturbation: the rush of positive endorphins you get from orgasm can help with stress relief and pain relief. And as a nice little bonus, orgasms release oxytocin and prolactin, which can have a sedative effect, making it easier for you to fall asleep. If you have bad periods and pain, this relaxation effect can be a godsend. Luckily, all these benefits of masturbation still apply during your period — in fact, while you're battling different experiences of pain and discomfort, these endorphins might just help make a painful period into a more comfortable (and dare we say, pleasurable) one.

Masturbating on your period can also help relieve period cramps too, says Alyssa Dweck, MD, a gynecologist, and if you are comfortable doing it, the same goes for period sex. Orgasms promote blood flow to the genitals, which can help relieve the sensations of cramps, and even sometimes headaches. “We know orgasm helps with cramps," Alyssa tells us, "and we know orgasms might be heightened at different times during your menstrual cycle — so, orgasms might actually be more enhanced with your period," she says.

Yes, you read that right — some people have reported that they've actually had some of their best-ever orgasms while on their period. Researchers aren't totally sure why this is, but it's likely related to why some people see their sex drives spike during that time of the month: the hormonal surges and changes. During your period, oestrogen and progesterone are lower and testosterone is slightly higher than usual. The rise in your testosterone regulates your sex drive, which in turn, leads to heightened feelings of arousal and more intense sensations or orgasms.

Your genitals are also often extra-sensitive when you're on your period, which can contribute to the heightened pleasure of sexual activity during menstruation. And despite the potential for it to be a bit messy, period blood can also mean you're naturally extra lubricated, often removing the need for other products and making sex toy use and vaginal penetration even easier.

Engaging with sexual pleasure and feeling sexy is also a great confidence booster in general, but perhaps more so when you're dealing with the physical and mental challenges that our periods can sometimes present. By using this time when we may be feeling a little low and uncomfortable to tap into some self-love (literally), we can help relax and enjoy our bodies while it undergoes any menstrual-related stress.

If you want to masturbate on your period but are concerned about mess, don't be deterred, as there are a few different options for keeping your space clean. For a completely mess-free solution, you can try wearing a tampon, menstrual cup, or diaphragm (although note, this might inhibit your period blood from providing that extra lubrication we mentioned before, so in this case, consider using your other lube products). This way, you can skip the messiness of penetration altogether, instead, focusing on clitoral stimulation and other methods of bodily arousal like nipple play, touching your inner thigh, or pushing against your pelvis.

But if you do prefer vaginal penetration while you masturbate, you don’t necessarily have to give it up and nor should you! You can try masturbating in the shower or tub so the clean-up is much easier (though be careful to avoid douching, as this can lead to infection) or you can simply lay down a dark-coloured towel or two and just go for it. Feel free to get out the sex toys too if you enjoy penetration on your period but prefer to be alone. "It might be a little messy, but most of these things are easily washed," says Dr Dweck.

We've come far in trying to not let our period hold us back from work, fun and other activities, and our sexual activity should be no different if you're comfortable with it! If anything, seems like masturbating (or having sex) during your period is one of the better times to be doing it for both your pleasure and your health. So maybe the next time you feel those cramps and hormones coming on, you might think about all the fun and helpful ways you can masturbate while you're menstruating.