My boyfriend finds menstruation unappealing – and I feel rejected every month | Life and style

I’m a 43-year-old woman in a relationship with a wonderful man. However, my boyfriend is turned off by period sex, a novel situation for me. I respect his boundaries but I can’t help feeling rejected every month. How do I come to terms with this and not feel rebuffed?

Everybody has likes and dislikes concerning sex and bodily functions, and it’s important to respect each other’s feelings about such things. Try not to take this personally. It is something that is ingrained in him and it may be something of a turn-off for many men. After all, since a basic function of sex is reproduction, which is less likely to occur through intercourse during menstruation, his response may to a certain extent be biologically determined. It would be a mistake to try to shame or coerce him into doing anything he dislikes.

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