Does Masturbation Help Period Cramps

Does Masturbation Help Period Cramps
Why Marvel's Karen Gillan Embraces Her Anxiety
Your New Must-Try: Sautéed Dandelion Toast
The Only Marathon Training Plan You'll Ever Need
Your June Horoscope: Communication Clarity

By
Laura Stampler and Mara Santilli

The 32 Best Masturbation Tips For Women, Ever

This content is imported from {embed-name}. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

Sex Experts Swear By These Vibrators And Toys
Mara Santilli
Mara is a freelance writer and editor specializing in culture, politics, wellness, and the intersection between them, whose print and digital work has appeared in Marie Claire, Women’s Health, Cosmopolitan, Airbnb Mag, Prevention, and more.

This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
A Complete Guide To Vaginal Discharge Colors
12 Reasons Your Vagina Hurts So Damn Much
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
6 Best Period Subscription Boxes For Every Need
Why Do I Have Cramps But No Period?
14 Reasons Your Vagina Is So Damn Itchy
18 Reasons You’ve Got Bumps On Your Vagina
The Ultimate Guide To Cleaning Your Vagina
5 Reasons You Gain Weight During Your Period

Women's Health may earn commission from the links on this page, but we only feature products we believe in.

Why trust us?

You can say goodbye to cramps, for one thing.
Oftentimes on your period, the only acts of self-love you feel like treating yourself to are Advil, Netflix, comfy lounge pants, and gargantuan tubs of ice cream . But if you haven't yet given yourself some literal self-love while you're menstruating, you're missing out.
Hear us out: Your period is actually a really good time to masturbate. There's a chance it may help with cramps ⁠—and that's just one of the benefits. (To be clear, masturbating when you aren’t on your period has some health and stress-relieving benefits too. Basically, there's no reason not to be masturbating.)
Read on for the lowdown on why you should take some solo time during your time of the month, and how to do so with little mess and max enjoyment.
Masturbation in general increases the feel-good neurotransmitters serotonin and dopamine, which is associated with pleasure and reduced stress, says Sonia Bahlani , MD, a gynecologist and pelvic pain specialist in New York City.
When you orgasm , the body releases the hormones prolactin and oxytocin, both of which can help you sleep more soundly, she adds. Overall, you're going to be feeling pretty relaxed afterward. "Oxytocin especially, when released during orgasm, is also thought to lower cortisol—the stress hormone—levels, and therefore give you a sense of relief," says Dr. Bahlani.
There are also benefits to masturbating on your period specifically. It may feel better, for one. "There's increased blood flow to the genitals, perhaps even to the clitoris, leading to increased sensitivity and pleasure," Dr. Bahlani says. Menstrual blood is also a natural lubricant, which will help if you're using toys during your period, she adds (it's also another reason to have sex during your period ).
And what if you could skip popping an ibuprofen for a bit? Orgasms may also decrease menstrual cramps . With an orgasm, there's the release of oxytocin —a natural pain reliever that can get rid of some of the worst period cramps.
You might also feel more in the mood during your period. There's a six-day phase during your monthly cycle in which you might feel super horny, and that time frame coincides with your actual period, according to research from the University of Chicago . This is aptly called the "sexual phase," and starts three days before the luteinizing hormone, which triggers ovulation, surges during your period. Women in the University of Chicago study going through this phase were not just more sexually active on their periods, but they had more sexual fantasies, too. And while sexual desire was "more robust in women with regular sexual partners," single women felt it, too, also reporting feeling "less lonely at the time."
Your libido might seem stronger during your period because of slightly higher levels of sex drive-boosting testosterone coursing through your body, says Dr. Bahlani. "Many people also theorize that there is a subconscious psychological factor at play that increases sex drive—you may be more open to sex during your period because you're less likely to get pregnant," she says. Either way, if you're feeling hornier than usual, scratching that itch with masturbation will feel even better.
Depending on your flow, masturbating on your period may be NBD in terms of mess and post-sesh cleanup. But if you do bleed a lot and you're looking to create as little mess as possible, Dr. Bahlani recommends putting in a tampon or a menstrual cup and focusing on clitoral instead of vaginal stimulation. If you do prefer penetration, you an can always take your practice to the tub or shower to minimize clean-up.
When it comes using a toy, you can still go for it—silicone sex toys are Dr. Bahlani's suggestion for during your period, because they tend to be easier to clean. If it's a lighter day and you're not getting natural lubrication from your flow, you can also use a little bit of silicone-based lube for the toys, she adds. Most silicone-based toys can be cleaned simply with soap and water (or a sex toy cleaner , if that's something you have on hand), and will be good as new for the next time you want to pull them out of your drawer.

Fitness Tampons Regular with FITPAK
Fitness* Ultra Thin Pads Regular with Wings
Fitness* Tampons Super with FITPAK
Fitness* Ultra Thin Pads Heavy Flow with Wings
Fitness* Ultra Thin Pads Regular with Wings
CleanWear® Ultra Thin Pads Regular with Wings
Security® Ultra Thin Pads Regular with Wings
Security® Ultra Thin Pads Regular
Fitness* Ultra Thin Pads Heavy with Wings
CleanWear® Ultra Thin Pads Heavy Flow with Wings
Security® Ultra Thin Pads Long with Wings
Teen® Ultra Thin Pads Extra Absorbency
Teen® Ultra Thin Pads Overnight Protection Pads
AllNighter® Ultra Thin Pads Overnight with Wings
Security® Ultra Thin Pads Overnight with Wings
AllNighter® Ultra Thin Pads Extra Heavy Overnight with Wings
Security® Maxi Pads Overnight with Wings
Security® Maxi Pads Extra Heavy Overnight With Wings
Fitness* Tampons Regular with FITPAK
Click® Tampons Super Plus Compact
Click® Tampons Regular Super 34CT
Click® Tampons Regular Super 50CT
Click® Tampons Regular Super/Super Plus
Security® Tampons Regular Super 18CT
Security® Tampons Regular Super 34CT
Security® Tampons Regular Super 50CT
Security® Tampons Regular Regular Super/Super Plus
Lightdays® Absorbent Liners Long

Not only do I write for the Real answers panel, but I am learning new stuff right along with the rest of you. I recall this answer from our own healthcare expert Elisabeth Morray, so I hope she does not mind me re-sharing it with you. In her words, “Yes, you can masturbate while you’re on your period. It may get a little bit messy, so you might want to have a towel on hand so you’re prepared. Some women find that having an orgasm helps relieve their cramps and other PMS-related pains!”

Social Share is currently OFF. To enable click here and set Gigya in the Functional section to Active.

Get the latest news and updates from U by Kotex®

Birth Month*
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
June
July
Aug
Sept
Oct
Nov
Dec

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30

Birth Year*
1920
1921
1922
1923
1924
1925
1926
1927
1928
1929
1930
1931
1932
1933
1934
1935
1936
1937
1938
1939
1940
1941
1942
1943
1944
1945
1946
1947
1948
1949
1950
1951
1952
1953
1954
1955
1956
1957
1958
1959
1960
1961
1962
1963
1964
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969
1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008

Privacy Policy
Financial Incentives Offered

Select Language

USA - ENGLISH
CANADA - ENGLISH
CANADA - FRANCAIS

This is a good question; one I wish I knew the answer to. Seems like masturbating would be a quick-fix solution for cramps. Maybe it could be your way of helping reduce the pain from cramps. For me, I like to fill up a water bottle, warm it up in the microwave, and then hold it against my stomach. To each their own. If it helps with cramps, then it’s like the Holy Grail, because all of us women know how much cramps can hurt and how epic the cure for them can be.
I have not read any clear evidence about this. Orgasm causes your brain to release some feel-good chemicals that might actually have a relaxing effect on your body and your mood. In that respect, I would agree that masturbating might help with your period cramps as muscle tension and anxiety can certainly make your period cramps worse. So, I guess my answer to your question is going to be if it feels right, go for it. If not, here are some other ways that you can get some period relief: take a warm bath, take a nap, go for a walk, do relaxation exercises, laugh, drink plenty of water and get three servings of dairy each day.

Peer Answer: Luckily, I’ve never had the need for anesthesia, but I do know that stress on the body (exercise, diet, surgery, etc.) can cause irregularities in your period. This is a very interesting question and...

Period stains can be a nightmare, but your favorite pants or panties don’t have to look like a crime scene forever!

This is not intended to be medical advice. Everybody is different so please make sure to consult your physician if you're having issues. Do not delay or refrain from seeking professional medical advice from your physician because of something you have read on this site.
No matter what time of the month it is, U by Kotex® has something that's right for you.
Allnighter® Ultra-Thin Pads with Wings, Extra Heavy Overnight

U by Kotex® Allnighter® Ultra Thin Extra Heavy Overnight Pads with Wings provide up to 100% leak free...

Security® Ultra-Thin Pads with Wings, Overnight

For all night protection in any sleep position, try U by Kotex® Security® Ultra Thin Overnight Pads with a 60% larger back*.

Teen® Ultra-Thin Pads with Wings, Overnight Protection

Get up to 100% leak free protection with U by Kotex® Ultra Thin Teen Overnight Pads with Wings.

Get up to 100% leak free protection with U by Kotex® Extra Absorbency Ultra Thin Teen Pads with Wings, the ONLY pad uniquely sized for teens*.

Cleanwear® Ultra Thin Pads - Heavy Flow With Wings

Get the ultra thin pad that keeps up with you and your day. U by Kotex® CleanWear® Ultra Thin Pads....

Click® Tampons Super - Compact Applicator

Try the #1 compact Tampon and get up to 100% leak free XPRESS-DRI® protection.

Security® Ultra Thin Pads - Long with Wings

Get up to 10 hours of XPRESS-DRI® protection and no harsh ingredients with U by Kotex® Security® Ultra Thin pads.

Tracking is simple! Use our FREE Period Calculator to figure out when your next period starts.
We’ll send you marketing communications regarding U by Kotex® and other Kimberly-Clark brands. You can unsubscribe at any time.
We have successfully received your information.
Check your inbox for future updates.
We just need you to verify your email address to complete the process.
Check your inbox for a verification email.
®/™ Trademarks of Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc. or its affiliates © KCWW.
Your visit to this site is subject to the terms of our User Agreement.
We use technology, such as cookies, to personalize and enhance your experience. By continuing
Free Threesome Porn Movies
Footsie Babes
Girls Making Each Other Squirt

Does Masturbation Help Period Cramps

Report Page