“Period poops,” as they are often called, refer to bowel movements that coincide with the start of your period. They typically differ from your regular poops and are often looser and more frequent, or diarrhea.

According to the authors, this feeling, which they call “poo-phoria,” occurs when your bowel movement stimulates the vagus nerve, which runs from your brainstem to your colon. Your vagus nerve is involved in key bodily functions, including digestion and regulating your heart rate and blood pressure.

When you do pass stool however, the relaxation of the stronger anal sphincter also decreases tension in the weaker urinary sphincter, allowing urine to pass at the same time.

If you have period constipation, upping the fiber in your diet, exercise, and drinking lots of water can help keep things moving. If you’re really stuck, a gentle over-the-counter laxative or stool softener should do the trick.

A healthy vagina’s typical scent may best be described as “musky” or “fleshy.” A menstrual cycle might cause a slightly “metallic” scent for a few days. Intercourse may change the smell temporarily.

Hormonal changes Before your period starts, progesterone builds up in your body. This can slow down your digestive system, possibly resulting in constipation just before and during your period. There’s also a theory that rising estrogen, not progesterone, is the real culprit.

Prostaglandins can also affect your gastrointestinal (or GI) tract by causing your gut muscles to contract. These hormones may even affect your ability to move fluids from your GI contents, leading to the pain and diarrhea often associated with period poops.

While it’s extremely unlikely, the simple answer is yes. Women are not able to conceive whilst on their period, but sperm survives within the female reproductive system for up to five days. This means that a tiny fraction of women do have a small chance of becoming pregnant from unprotected sex during their period.