It’s that time of the month.
Aside from the uncomfortable cramping, not to mention bloating, that comes along with menstruation, it’s no surprise if you and your partner are not interested in sex when Aunt Flo is in town. “Some folks aren’t put off by blood, but most women tend to feel inward and vulnerable during their period, preferring to curl up with a cozy blanket and a book, and aren’t in a big hurry to be penetrated,” says Claudia Six, Ph.D., sexologist and author of Erotic Integrity: How to Be True to Your Sexuality. “Plus there’s the clean-up!”
You’ve been fighting with your partner often.
As Six puts it, resentment is not an aphrodisiac. “Resentment builds up and festers, creating distance,” she says. “It’s contradictory to be resentful of someone and want to get naked and physically close to them.” If you and your partner have been fighting more often than usual without ever feeling like you’re back on the same page, it might be worth it to consider couples counseling. Having a third party listening to your issues and unbiasedly providing suggestions might be just what you need to reconcile in and out of the bedroom.
