A lot of women have a menstrual cycle that is irregular and can cause periods to be delayed.
Some variation in your cycle is completely normal, and 46% of cycles vary by seven days or more (7).
Having sex can slightly delay your period, especially if you have orgasms because of the increased surge in hormones. However, this won’t delay it very much, so it is not a cause for concern.
Hormones
Having sex at this time of the month, when your period is due, can cause your period to be late. This is because having sex can cause a surge of hormones, which can play havoc with your menstrual cycle. This can cause your period to be a few days late, or it may skip a day altogether. Having sex at this time of month also can delay your periods if it results in an orgasm, because of the higher level of hormones that are released during arousal. However, if your sex is unprotected, and you are not pregnant, your period should not be delayed. (9)
If you are unsure about the reason for your late period, it is a good idea to take a pregnancy test.
Stress
Stress has been shown to disrupt the hypothalamus/pituitary/ovarian interaction, which can lead to irregular periods. Stress has also been shown to cause premenstrual symptoms, including bloating, cramps, nausea and vomiting, fatigue and low back pain. It can even lead to dysmenorrhea – i.e heavy bleeding. Stress can also affect how long a period is, how much it flows and how painful it is, particularly if you are someone who already has a high PMS sensitivity.3
If you feel that your periods are erratic, it is worth speaking to your GP about ways to manage stress. This can help to normalise your periods and reduce the frequency of PMS and dysmenorrhea.
Hormonal Imbalance
Hormones are chemicals that send messages through the blood to different organs and cells in the body. They are essential to normal bodily functions and health but too much or too little of them can cause a variety of symptoms. A hormonal imbalance is when you have too many or too few hormones in the body and can cause problems like unexplained weight gain, sleep problems, mood changes, menstrual irregularities, itchy skin and more. A common cause of hormone imbalance is polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Other causes of hormonal imbalance include thyroid disorders, cortisol imbalance, and low levels of estrogen.
Sex can play havoc with your menstrual cycle because arousal can cause a surge of hormones. However, it won’t delay your period very far. In fact, it’s more likely that your period will be regular after you have sex than not. But if your periods are very irregular it could be a sign of hormonal imbalance or other health issues so it’s important to see your doctor right away.
Your doctor will be able to help you figure out what’s causing your hormone imbalance and the best treatment for it. In some cases, simple lifestyle changes like eating a balanced diet and getting enough sleep can get your hormones back to normal. In others, you may need to do more thorough testing such as a sperm count for men or a pap smear for women to identify underlying issues that are impacting your hormone balance.
Conception
Women who have sex during the fertile window are at an increased risk of pregnancy. Ovulation occurs a few days to a week before menstruation begins, and you are most likely to get pregnant if you conceive during this time. However, it is possible to get pregnant at any point within your menstrual cycle, and small variations in your menstrual cycle due to sex or other factors do not affect how fertile you are. It is also possible to have sex the day after your period ends and become pregnant, though this is less common. Some women who are pregnant may experience spotting that looks like their menstrual cycle, so it is important to take a pregnancy test if you miss a period.
While it is unlikely to get pregnant a few days before your period, it is always best to use a condom. For women with a normal 28-day cycle, the safest days to have sex are on or after Day 21 of their menstrual cycles. This is because the egg is only available for a short window of time before it is fertilized.
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