How to Have Period Sex - with No Mess

For a lot of bodies, there may be one week - out of most months - where you're "stuck" dealing with a menstrual period. Whether you believe it's a blessed part of your life cycle - or you're just annoyed and wish it would stop doing that, you still have to deal with it.

While your period can affect your life anywhere you go (smuggling period care products into the bathroom, anyone?), being on your period can have a drastic effect on your sex life, too. There are very few places in your day-to-day life where your period parts happen to be on display quite as clearly as during intimate time with yourself - or with a partner.

As the conversation around period sex has started to become more mainstream - and people have started to be open about all of the benefits of period sex and "menstrubation," we're slowly flipping the script on the idea that intercourse and sex are "off the table" during your period.

That doesn't mean that everything is fine and dandy though. Period blood can still be a pain during sex. Not only can it stain things if you get it where it isn't wanted, but some people are still uncomfortable with period blood itself - which can definitely put a damper on having some otherwise-hot sex - especially if your monthly cycle amps up your arousal right when you're bleeding.

However, there are some ways to manage your period during sex - if you have concerns, that is. I want to reiterate that having a period is a biological process that your body does naturally - much like using the bathroom, sleeping, eating, or sweating. If you don't want to change anything about your routine to have intercourse on your period, you certainly don't have to.

But just in case you do, here are some of my suggestions about how to have period sex - with as minimal "mess" as possible:

Use a Sex-Friendly Menstruation Cup

You've probably heard about menstrual cups. They're all the rage lately - and for good reason! Not only does it eliminate the cost of period products (buy one, and you're done, no need to buy anything by the box), but it's also fully reusable, way better for the environment, and better for your body too!

However, up until recently, while menstrual cups could be worn all day long during almost all activities, there was one place where menstrual cups couldn't go - and that was during intercourse.

New innovations have made menstrual cups safe for intercourse though - and one of those sex-friendly menstrual cups is the Ziggy by INTIMINA. Ziggy is an intercourse-friendly menstrual cup. Whether you're using sex toys or enjoying yourself with a partner, Ziggy's unique shape provides all of the benefits of a reusable menstrual cup - but with a design that's friendly for penetration. (Did you know that we have an INTIMINA Ziggy review too?! We were keeping track of this handy gadget three years ago!)

If your goal is zero contact with menstrual blood, a sex-friendly menstruation cup is the clear winner here. There are other ways to reduce contact with blood and make for easier clean-up, but if you're going for a total reduction of menstruation blood for you or your partner's comfort, a period cup made for sex is really my best recommendation.

Read: 4 Ways Using a Menstrual Cup Makes You a Better Vagina Owner

Prepare the Area - Just in Case

If you're using something like the Ziggy, the likelihood of leaks is pretty small if you have it inserted. However, there's no reason not to toss down a dark-colored towel. The dark-colored towel has been the star of the period intercourse show for years now - and for a reason: it works. Just to give yourself peace of mind, toss down that towel. As an added bonus, it means no one is going to be laying down on a wet spot afterwards anyway!

Know Your Heavy/Lighter Days

Let's be real: unless you're using a menstrual cup for sex, you might end up with some blood during intercourse. How much blood, however, can really vary depending on what part of your cycle you're in. If you have a semi-predictable cycle and know what your light and heavy days are, consider delaying penetration and insertable sex until the lighter days if the blood may be a concern. I consider this a fantastic time to experiment with lots of teasing - and foreplay - to make sure that your sex is really, really hot by the time it rolls around.

Use a Condom

If you're enjoying sex with a penis-owning human (or a dildo! Whatever works for you!), using a condom can be the simplest way to reduce period blood touching places you don't want it. When the intercourse is over, just slip off the condom and put it straight into the trash. Depending on your flow, there might be some blood along the pelvis of the penis-owning partner, but a condom can make clean-up of the majority of blood a breeze.

Plus, it means safer sex. Win-win!

Read: Put a Condom on It (Your Sex Toy!)