Is A Woman More Sexually Active Before Or After Her Period?

There are a number of physical, social, and emotional factors that will affect how sexually active a woman, will be either before, during, or after her period. Which period the woman is most sexually active in can vary greatly from individual to individual. This can even occur within the same individual depending on the circumstances.

• Physical factors

The menstrual cycle suggests that women, especially those seeking to get pregnant, should feel most sexually active during their most likely fertile period, which would be in the 3-4 days just after a period has finished.

• Social factors

Despite the physiological factors outlined above, social and emotional factors tend to play a far greater defining role in when a women is likely to be more sexually active. The absence of a regular partner can make sexual activity with another person difficult for any woman.

Similarly, those women with partners who work away from home. And those who work shifts or whose working hours correspond, will find that the times when they are sexually active are determined for them, by social factors far more so than physiological need.

• Emotional factors

Emotional factors play a huge role in defining when a woman (or man) is likely to be sexually active. Feeling secure, confident, sexy, excited and loved will all play a large part in helping a woman feel more sexual.

People who are stressed, at odds with another person, or have problems in other areas of their lives, or who have low interest in sex are unlikely to feel a greater desire for sexual activity.

In short, although there is a physiological basis for saying a woman should feel sexually active at a set time in her menstrual cycle, the overriding social and emotional factors, they experience in their day to day life have a far greater impact on her sexual activity or lack of it. This is often to the extent of overriding the physiological implications entirely.

When a woman is most sexually active depends on when she has a partner available.  :)

However, there is a surge of progesterone in all women in the three-to-five days before their period begins (the same time period when PMS occurs in some women).  

High progesterone levels tend to lead women to be more sexually receptive or more sexually aggressive.