# Libido through your cycle

> Why you might feel frisky mid-month and meh before your period.

Category: Body literacy · 4 min read · Written by the Splash team · Sources checked October 2026
URL: https://splash.care/learn/body-literacy/libido-cycle

## Quick answer

- On average desire peaks around ovulation, but individual patterns vary a lot.
- Stress, contraception, medicines and relationships matter as much as hormones.
- Talk to a GP if changes worry you.

Sex drive naturally rises and falls, and your cycle can be part of that. There is no "right" amount of desire. Whatever you feel is valid.

## What the research suggests

The research is mixed. A 2013 study tracked daily [hormones](https://splash.care/learn/cycle-basics/hormones-explained) and desire in young women with natural cycles. Desire tended to be higher when [oestrogen](https://splash.care/learn/glossary/oestrogen) was higher and lower when [progesterone](https://splash.care/learn/glossary/progesterone) was higher. A 2023 study that followed 213 students for two cycles found a small average rise in desire around mid-cycle. It also found big differences between people: some had a mid-cycle rise, some a rise around their period, and some no change at all. A 2025 survey of 585 women found the same wide variety. The 2023 study also found that how you feel mentally ([stress](https://splash.care/learn/cycle-basics/stress-travel-illness), mood) predicted desire more than physical symptoms did.

In short: a mid-cycle rise is common on average, but it is not a rule, and your own pattern may be different.

- **Period:** Some people feel low desire; others feel more. Both are normal.
- **Follicular:** Rising oestrogen may bring a lift in desire for some.
- **Ovulation:** Desire peaks for many, but not all, people around now.
- **Luteal:** Progesterone may dampen desire for some, especially before your period.

## Other things that affect libido

The NHS lists lots of everyday causes of a lower sex drive:

- Relationship problems.
- Stress, [anxiety](https://splash.care/learn/mind-mood/luteal-anxiety) or depression.
- Vaginal dryness or pain during sex.
- [Pregnancy](https://splash.care/learn/fertility-ttc/early-pregnancy-signs) and looking after a baby (tiredness and changing hormones).
- Lower hormone levels around [menopause](https://splash.care/learn/glossary/menopause).
- Some medicines, including some for blood pressure and antidepressants.
- Hormonal [contraception](https://splash.care/learn/contraception/methods-overview), such as the pill, patch or implant.
- Drinking too much alcohol, and some long-term conditions such as an underactive thyroid or diabetes.

> **Splash says:** try logging your drive in Splash for a few cycles. It can be lovely, and useful, to see your own pattern.

**Myth:** Everyone feels most in the mood at ovulation.

**Fact:** Studies show a small average lift mid-cycle, but individual patterns vary a lot. Stress, relationships and tiredness often matter more than hormones.

### When to see a doctor

See a GP if a low sex drive worries you, if you are taking a medicine or using hormonal contraception and think it may be affecting it, if it has not come back after pregnancy, or if sex is painful.

## Sources

1. [Menstrual cycle-driven vs noncyclical daily changes in sexual desire (J Sex Med, 2023)](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37037659/)
2. [Roney & Simmons (2013) Hormonal predictors of sexual motivation in natural menstrual cycles, Hormones and Behavior](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23601091/)
3. [Female sexual desire, response, and activity across the menstrual cycle (J Sex Marital Ther, 2025)](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41216822/)
4. [NHS: Low sex drive (loss of libido)](https://www.nhs.uk/symptoms/loss-of-libido/)

This is general information, not medical advice. Splash can’t diagnose. If you’re worried, talk to a GP, pharmacist or sexual health clinic. In an emergency call 999 (UK) or 911 (US).