Sex Alternatives

OK - if you're one of those women who feels decidedly unsexy when you're on your period, and anything having to do with sex is about as appealing as a colonoscopy, you're probably not going to take kindly to any suggestions I might make about giving your partner a hand-job or a blow-job. So I'll skip the obvious alternatives to intercourse and move on to other ideas.

First, just as a thought, I'd like you to consider the connection between your period and your femininity. Menstruation, far from being a 'curse', is part of the reproductive cycle that is a fundamental aspect of being female. Rather than shutting down your sexual responsiveness, your period can help you stay connected to your sexuality.

But if you feel bloated, crampy, and fat during your period and sex just isn't on the agenda, you can still foster closeness with your partner. Bake a batch of his favorite cookies, give him a foot rub or a scalp massage, or ask him to give you some special nurturing - like preparing a bath for you or bringing home some flowers. The idea is to use your period as a time to nourish closeness rather than to increase distance. The last thing you need during that week is a partner who's irritable and grumpy about being shutout and shut down.