Does ovulation make you horny? How hormones affect your sex drive

Do you crush harder when you’re ovulating? If you’ve noticed that at the same point every month, you feel much hotter, this might have nothing to do with them and something to do with your hormones. 

From cramps and mood changes to hormonal zits and headaches, you may already be a pro at spotting the signs that your period is on its way. But the week before your period isn’t the only time when hormonal ups and downs can impact the way you feel physically and emotionally. Frisky, horny, sexy, hot  — whatever you want to call it, feeling sexually aroused is often connected with ovulation. 

So let’s dig into what ovulation actually is, how hormones can affect your sex drive at this point in your cycle, and why tracking what’s typical for you can be so helpful.

Key takeaways

• Ovulation is the part of your cycle when one of your ovaries releases an egg. This process is triggered by hormonal changes that can impact the way you feel. 
• While ovulation is the moment that your egg is released from an ovary, you experience fluctuations in your hormone levels in the days leading up to ovulation and just afterward, too. 
• Ovulation is key, as it marks the point in your cycle when you’re most likely to get pregnant. However, since sperm can live inside your body for up to five days, and your egg remains viable once it’s left your ovary for up to 24 hours, the five days before ovulation and the day after are known as your fertile window. 
• Everyone’s cycle is slightly different, so you might notice some subtle changes in the way you feel during ovulation or none at all. Some people report feeling more turned on during this part of their cycle. This could be your body’s way of making the most of your fertile window. 
• There can be a lot of pressure and comparison surrounding what is considered to be “normal” when it comes to sex. Remember that everyone is different, and there are lots of different things that can affect your sex drive.

Does ovulation make you feel horny? 

As you’ll likely already know, no two cycles are the same. So when you ask the question, “does ovulation make you horny?” there isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer. What’s typical for you will be different for other people. 

Understanding what ovulation is might give you an insight into why you feel more turned on at this point in your cycle. Ovulation marks the moment when one of your ovaries releases an egg to be fertilized by a sperm (pregnancy). Like so many other parts of your cycle, your hormones are the reason this process is triggered. 

In the week before ovulation, your levels of a hormone called follicle-stimulating hormone begin to increase. This stimulates the growth of small fluid-filled sacs called follicles on your ovaries, where your egg develops. Your body also releases more of the sex hormone estrogen at this time. 

Just before you’re ready to ovulate, your estrogen levels peak. This is followed by a surge of luteinizing hormone (LH). LH triggers the ovary to release an egg. After this, your estrogen levels drop again, and the hormone progesterone rises. Progesterone’s main job is to support a potential pregnancy. These hormonal changes not only affect your cycle. They can also mean big changes to the way you feel.  But do they affect your sex drive too?

The reality is, there isn’t a lot of medical research into this. “The evidence here is mixed,” says Dr. Jenna Beckham, an obstetrician and gynecologist at WakeMed Health and Hospitals, North Carolina, US. “Some studies have shown increased sexual arousal at the time of ovulation. Some believe this is evolutionary. Individuals who ovulate are most fertile at this time, so having an increased sex drive at the time of ovulation can lead to increased chances of pregnancy.”

You might be curious what Dr. Beckham means when she says this could be “evolutionary.” Some research has suggested that you might feel more turned on around the time of ovulation because it’s your body’s automatic response to being in your fertile window. Basically, it could be your body’s way of making the most of the time when you could get pregnant. 

However, there are lots of other factors that can impact your sex drive, like stress, how connected you feel to the person you’re having sex with, and any negative associations you have with sex, such as pain.

Knowing where you are in your cycle can help you spot patterns in how you feel month to month. You can use an app like Flo to do this. Simply log how you’re feeling in the app, along with your period dates, and Flo will help you understand when you might be ovulating, plus some of the symptoms you might expect.

How long does ovulation arousal last?

It’s difficult to put a timer on any symptoms that can be linked to your cycle, including when you might feel more turned on. As Dr. Beckham explains, “This is highly variable, and some studies have shown no association between ovulation and increased arousal, so this is likely variable from person to person, and even from month to month.”

Since ovulation happens around one week after your period (or day 14) if you have an average 28-day cycle, you may start noticing some of the signs linked to ovulation around this time. However, the day you ovulate can change from cycle to cycle and over your lifetime. Similarly, if your cycle is between 21 and 35 days long, then it’s still considered typical, but you won’t ovulate on day 14. 

Logging your period dates using Flo can help you understand when you might ovulate and your symptoms during ovulation. If you log that you feel more turned on at this point in your cycle, every cycle you can even prepare for it by booking some date nights. 

What else might affect your sex drive?

Whether it’s how often you’re having sex or the types of sex you’re having, when it comes to being intimate, it’s so easy to get caught up in what’s “normal.” While it can be fun to talk about, sex is also an incredibly intimate and vulnerable thing, so it can be tempting to compare yourself to others. 

“I think it is important to really emphasize that sexual desire is unique to each individual,” says Dr. Beckham. “There are so many factors that can and do affect an individual’s sexual desire and arousal. There are also individuals who identify as asexual, and if an individual is content without sex drive, arousal, or sexual activity, that is perfectly fine!”

It may feel easier said than done, but try to focus on what makes you happy. There are so many reasons you feel more turned on at some times and not others. Being physically close with a partner can be a wonderful antidote to a long day. But if you’ve had a stressful day at work and are juggling social commitments with family, it may not always be what you feel like. 

So much can impact your sex drive, including: 

Your stress levels

If you’re more stressed than usual, you may not want to have sex (and that’s OK!).

Anxiety and depression

If you have anxiety or depression, then you may have a lower sex drive. If this is bothering you, then reach out to your doctor. Similarly, medication, such as antidepressants, can impact your sex drive. 

How connected you feel to your partner

For many of us, it’s really important to feel connected to the person that we are having sex with. If this feels like it’s missing, then you may not be as eager to have sex. 

Negative associations with sex

If you find sex physically or emotionally painful, then it may lower your sex drive. Everyone deserves to have a fun and fulfilling sex life, and you should never feel forced into sex just to please your partner. If you’ve had negative experiences linked to sex, then talking therapy can help. 

Some health conditions such as cancer, chronic pain, and heart disease

It goes without saying that while these are physical conditions, they can also impact the way you feel. Try to be gentle with yourself, and if you don’t feel down for sex right now, that’s totally fine.  

When we talk about having a low sex drive, it sounds so final, but it’s totally typical to go through periods when you feel more interested in sex than others. It will likely ebb and flow, so trust yourself and try to be as open as you can with your partner.