Question: Is it okay to have sex with my husband when I am having my periods?
Answer: There are several Old Testament passages telling husbands not to have sexual relations with their wife during her period. Leviticus 15:19-24 talks about the impurity of a woman during her monthly flow. Verse 24 says, “And if any man lies with her at all, so that her impurity is on him, he shall be unclean seven days; and every bed on which he lies shall be unclean.” (NKJV)
Leviticus 18:19 says, “Do not approach a woman to have sexual relations during the uncleaness of her monthly period.” Leviticus 20:18 “If a man lies with a woman during her monthly period and has sexual relations with her, he has exposed the source of her flow, and she has uncovered it. Both of them must be cut off from their people.” (NIV)
In describing a righteous man, Ezekiel 18:6 says, “He does not defile his neighbor’s wife or lie with a woman during her period.” In Ezekiel 22, God is confronting Jerusalem with the sins they have been committing. In Ezekiel 22:10 it says “In you are those who violate women during their period, when they are ceremonially unclean.” (NIV)
These are all Old Testament references, which came under the law. We are no longer under the law, but under grace in the New Testament. Does this mean we can ignore the laws that are only stated in the Old Testament? Romans 3:31 says “Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law.” (NKJV)
God did not give laws just to give a law, but there were reasons for each law given. Since we do not know all of God’s reasons, we can only speculate, and here are two possible reasons:
1) Sanitation. There was no running water and it was a lot harder to bathe and clean up. We know that a woman’s monthly period is messy and smelly.
2) A woman’s monthly period consists of blood. We now know that several infections and diseases are carried and spread through the blood.
There are hormonal changes in a woman during her monthly period. Some women do not want anything to do with sex, while other women have an increased desire for sex. It is the same way with pain. To increase the efficacy and speed up the absorption of https://infantcrier.mi-aimh.org/to-attachment/ Viagra, you should take it after a light meal. Avoid high fat meals, grapefruit juice, alcoholic drinks and smoking. Some women do not have pain if they have sex during their monthly period while others may have an increase in pain. As a matter fact, some women have noted a decrease in cramps if they have sex during their monthly period.
During a woman’s monthly period, the cervix widens to allow the uterine lining to leave the body. This widening of the cervix would increase the risk for pelvic infections and HIV.
Remember, having sex during woman’s monthly period is not a form of birth control. Women can and do ovulate during their monthly period, so can also become pregnant at this time.
A husband and wife need to study the passages given in this article and seek God in the matter of having sex during the woman’s monthly period. If either the husband or wife is uncomfortable with having sex at this time, this should be respected and the couple should refrain from having sex.
Remember, sex is a way of demonstrating your love for each other, and also a picture of two becoming one flesh. A couple should only do those things that the husband and wife are both comfortable with.
Marlene K. Panell
For more information email me: [email protected]
Good read.
I think that this knowledge has evolve over time. In ancient times not having sex during a period is relevant to their time. However, in modern times we know that having sex while a woman is on her period is completely safe by taking the necessary precautions
David, so you are saying that God evolves as He goes along? What about, God knows more than we know, and so He said, don’t have sex during the woman’s period. It seems to me that that would be the only kind thing to do for the woman. Thanks for your comment. Gary
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I like the way you put it: “…so you are saying that Yhvh evolves as He goes along?”
Hi Yacie, No, I do not believe God evolves as He goes along. God has always been a God of grace and mercy, He never changes. Gary
David,
The Lord does not change, but man does. You are leaning on your own understanding and knowledge, instead of The Lord’s. Those with this mentality, unless repenting, He will say ‘Depart from Me’ because of lawlessness. You must turn (repent) of this way of thinking David. You can’t proclaim Jesus as Lord, yet deny His ways.
Malachi 3:6 KJV
For I am the Lord , I change not;
Mat 7:22 — Mat 7:23 MKJV
Many will say to Me in that day, Lord! Lord! Did we not prophesy in Your name, and through Your name throw out demons, and through Your name do many wonderful works? And then I will say to them I never knew you! Depart from Me, those working lawlessness!
Thank you for your comments, Isaiah, and your Scripture verses, but the only thing that will keep people out of heaven will be rejecting Jesus as Savior and LORD. Everything sin can be forgiven, except the sin against the Holy Spirit, and this sin is not the sin against the Holy Spirit. God bless you, Brother Gary
That’s a very Catholic view of salvation, very similar to venial and mortal sins. Sin is sin and all sin is worthy of being kept from heaven for having committed it. Anyone who continues in unrepentant sin IS denying Jesus. By the way, David said that “this knowledge has evolved over time,” implying that OUR knowledge of God’s will has changed, not God’s will.
David, Hello, nowhere in the Bible does David say, or even indicate or suggest that knowledge has evolved over time. We are saved by the grace of God by faith, and that not of our selves, it is a gift of God, not of works lest any man should boast. This has never changed, look at Ephesians 2:8,9. In Christian love, Gary
David, God is the same yesterday, today and forever
True!
God actually explains the reason in the Bible verse for not having sex with a woman during her period – because it uncovers her ‘source’.
Leviticus 20:18 “And if a man shall lie with a woman having her sickness, and shall uncover her nakedness; he hath discovered her fountain, and she hath uncovered the fountain of her blood: and both of them shall be cut off from among their people.”
During the woman’s menstruation, when the cervix opens, there is direct contact with her blood supply, and her uterus, which should be as protected as possible, is open to contact with possible contaminants. Also, the man is directly touching her bloodstream, unless he is using a condom, but even so accidents can happen, and he is more likely to catch any blood-borne disease she may have – especially HIV/AIDs. Furthermore, sex pushes the blood flow back towards the uterus, when it should be flowing out slowly and naturally. Other than this most women want a break from sex during this time. God was extremely merciful in giving the women a week off every month, by sending them away from the main camp when they were menstruating. Here is a study of 1,586 women, which concluded that there is a link between sex during menstruation and more STDs.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8885071
The conclusion of the study: “Sexual intercourse during menstruation may emerge more consistently as a risk factor for the heterosexual transmission of HIV or other sexually transmitted pathogens in future studies. If future epidemiologic studies continue to bolster this finding, then public health efforts should promote abstinence during the female menstrual period and target those groups of women among whom this practice is prevalent.”
Hi Leesa, thanks for the information. God and His Word are always right, even if we don’t understand why at the time. Believe His Word! Thanks, and God bless you, Gary and Marlene Panell
Merciful for giving women a week off of sex?? What the?? Some women like having sex with their husbands and find their period annoyingly in the way for those 7 days. Having sex during a woman’s period is a her choice, it is not unclean or “smelly”. This is such a barbaric way of thinking.
Here is the part of the answer you didn’t read: “A husband and wife need to study the passages given in this article and seek God in the matter of having sex during the woman’s monthly period. If either the husband or wife is uncomfortable with having sex at this time, this should be respected and the couple should refrain from having sex.
Remember, sex is a way of demonstrating your love for each other, and also a picture of two becoming one flesh. A couple should only do those things that the husband and wife are both comfortable with.”
Marlene K. Panell
I read it all, I was commenting on Leesa’s comment.
ok
Now my question…
When a woman’s period exceeds 7 days as the Bible states does she still continue to keep away from her husband? As in cases where the FIRST PERIOD after pregnancy for some may last 4 to 8 weeks after the first 6 weeks when its medically ok to have intercourse.
Hi Maria, did you get a chance to read our article, “Sex during her period”? Thanks, Marlene
Leviticus 15:28 NKJV
‘But if she is cleansed of her discharge, then she shall count for herself seven days, and after that she shall be clean.
The Lord also states not only to have sex during your wife’s period, but if she is clear a week after it began, you need to wait another week. To question The Lord’s laws, statues and judgments are Holy. To try to justify outside of His scripture with man’s opinion, is wicked. It’s good for us when we trust in Him and His word. That’s being a believer and walking by faith.
Proverbs 3:5-8 NKJV
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; [6] In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. [7] Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and depart from evil. [8] It will be health to your flesh, And strength to your bones.
Psalm 118:8 NKJV
It is better to trust in the LORD Than to put confidence in man.
The law is Holy, and those saved by God’s grace have a heart that is changed with a desire to obey His laws, not in strife but joy.
Romans 7:12 NKJV
Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good.
1 Timothy 1:8 NKJV
But we know that the law is good if one uses it lawfully,
We aren’t saved by the law but by Grace, but Grace gives you supernatural power to Obey His laws and commandments with joy.
Ezekiel 36:26-27 NKJV
I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. [27] I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them. That is the love of God.
1 John 5:2-3 NKJV
By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. [3] For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.
Please read the comments I have given to Isaiah L. Dillard.
My wife has periods bi-weekly. Are you trying to say I am not supposed to have sex with her at all? I am referring to your comment about not having sex for an additional week after her period…
Hi Jck, I think I would have your wife see a doctor, I have never heard of a woman having bi-weekly periods. This is something that could happen during menopause, but otherwise it is not normal. If this is something that happens for more than three months, she should definitely see a doctor. She may be anemic, but it could also indicate other serious conditions. Gary
So if it’s consensual sex then it’s fine? I’m confused why it would lead to diseases if it is between husband and wife.
Hi Moriah, here is part of the article that you read, “Sex during her period”: There are hormonal changes in a woman during her monthly period. Some women do not want anything to do with sex, while other women have an increased desire for sex. It is the same way with pain. Some women do not have pain if they have sex during their monthly period while others may have an increase in pain. As a matter fact, some women have noted a decrease in cramps if they have sex during their monthly period.
During a woman’s monthly period, the cervix widens to allow the uterine lining to leave the body. This widening of the cervix would increase the risk for pelvic infections and HIV.
Remember, having sex during woman’s monthly period is not a form of birth control. Women can and do ovulate during their monthly period, so can also become pregnant at this time.
A husband and wife need to study the passages given in this article and seek God in the matter of having sex during the woman’s monthly period. If either the husband or wife is uncomfortable with having sex at this time, this should be respected and the couple should refrain from having sex.
Remember, sex is a way of demonstrating your love for each other, and also a picture of two becoming one flesh. A couple should only do those things that the husband and wife are both comfortable with.
Marlene K. Panell