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What to Know About Period Sex, According to an OB-GYN

An OB-GYN says period sex is mostly stigmatized for cultural reasons, though STI protection still matters.

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Sex during your period is one of those things that gets labeled as “definitely not happening” without anyone being able to explain exactly why. The squeamishness is real. The medical justification, largely, is not.

Dr. Jane Van Dis, a board-certified OBGYN and medical expert for Flex, spoke with VICE about what’s actually behind the aversion. “The public’s discomfort with period sex is cultural rather than biological,” she says. “Menstruation has been treated as something that should be managed privately and, in some cultures, has been associated with shame.” The one legitimate medical concern that should be noted is STI transmission—unprotected sex during menstruation carries elevated risk, since the cervicovaginal barrier is disrupted and viral........

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