Growing up I was told that it was a bad idea to have sex during your period. The reason my mom offered was that during menstruation, women’s reproductive systems are quite sensitive and vulnerable, and hence more susceptible to infections.

Having discovered that many of the things my mom told me when I was young were neither true nor accurate, I questioned this belief, as well, then Googled and visited a number of reputable health sites.

It seems that in America there’s a consensus on this subject: that it’s absolutely safe to have sex during your period, though there is still a chance you may get pregnant, unless you’re taking precautions. There are also plenty of tips on how to get comfortable with the idea, and how to keep menstruation sex less messy, etc. So that’s the last word on the subject, right? Not quite…

As a student of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), I’m learning that having sexual intercourse during one’s period is an important cause of disease in women. It can cause blood stasis and lead to amenorrhea (no period or scanty period), dysmenorrhea (painful period), menorrhagia (heavy and prolonged period), or irregular periods.

Here’s why…

During your period, your blood and Qi (energy) naturally move downwards. With sexual arousal, though, your Qi moves upwards. As these two opposing movements clash, they can cause a stagnation of both Qi and blood in the uterus. And this stagnation interferes with the natural flow of menstrual blood, which can cause the various problems mentioned earlier.

I used to reject the notion that sex during your period was dangerous, even though I don’t personally enjoy it. I thought it mostly came from cultural and religious taboos that we should be liberated from in the 21^st century.

Now, however, as I’m studying Chinese medicine, I’ve begun to appreciate the reasoning behind it. I’ve learned that during menstruation women’s bodies are more susceptible to external pathological influences, so it’s a good policy to exercise caution and take good care of ourselves during these vulnerable times.

I recognize that this is a controversial topic since most believe it’s perfectly all right to have sex during one’s period. I’m open to your thoughts and opinions. Please share them by leaving a comment.

* Thanks http://shades-of-art.deviantart.com for the image.

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