What people think about period sex: Gross and messy or natural?

Hey guess what? 

Periods are a thing. They arrive every month (or three weeks. or sporadically, or whenever the hell they decide to arrive), but despite their frequency and necessity, we can still be pretty squeamish about them. 

Especially when it comes to sex, according to a new study. 

A study from Flex found that women are twice as likely as men to turn down sex with a new partner thanks to a period.

89 per cent of people cite the mess and potential clean up as a reason to avoid the act, which is understandable, who wants to ruin yet another bed sheet with a blood stain?

However for the 30 per cent of men and women who want more period sex at all stages of the cycle, we say just put a towel down. 

55 per cent of people polled think that period sex is fine and natural, while 45 per cent think that it's gross, so this is a pretty divisive issue.

From the mess to feeling bloated and just generally not being in the mood, period sex can seem like a bit of an ordeal to some people.

However, some women claim to feel more sexually aroused while on their period than usual. 

In fact, 20 per cent of women in the survey said they were extra horny at that time of the month. 

having sex on your period feels amazing, relives cramps, lessens your flow, and slightly different from normal sex I would 10/10 recommend.

— shia laCunt (@fuzzycuntkins) April 23, 2017

Flex (which is a tampon women can wear during sex) founder Erika Jensen encourages sexual partners to try sex on your cycle if it's something you want to do.

'If there is something you’ve never done because you’re scared or embarrassed or (worst of all) set in your ways just because, I urge you to do it,' she said.

'Or talk to someone who has done it. Explore a new perspective.'

Your willingness to or not to partake in period sex tells me everything I need to know about you

— PATRICIAPOPTHATPUSSY (@iRap4Food) April 20, 2017

70 per cent of people have a conversation about being on their period before the sex occurs, just to be sure that their potential partner is aware that the menses have arrived as a common courtesy. 

However, 45 per cent of women have had a partner turn them down for sex because they were on their period.

It's probably time that period sex was normalised, after all, it's an extra week in the month of potential sexy time we could all be having, but squeamishness is holding us all back.