ANALYSIS OF ONLINE SURVEY RESULTS
The online survey was conducted with 489 heterosexual female participants at any time during their menstrual cycle. The mean age of the participants was 27.96 ± 7.16 years. While the youngest participant in the study was 18 years old, the oldest participant was 52 years old. Two hundred forty-five participants in the group graduated from a university, and 245 had high school diplomas.
There were 403 people who did not have children (82.4%), while 86 people (17.6%) had children. While 86 participants (17.6%) were using a drug, 393 people (80.4%) were not using any medication. Ten people did not answer this question. There were 205 (41.9%) participants who had a partner. A total of 161 (32.9%) participants did not has a partner. The number of married people was 123 (25.2%). The mean menstrual bleeding time was determined to be 5.16 ± 1.97. The shortest (zero) days and the longest (ten) days of bleeding were reported. Among the participants who reported that they were 12.12 days (± 8.4 days) after the end of their menstrual bleeding during the response to the study, this period was reported as a minimum of 0 and a maximum of 30 days.
On the day, they responded to the test, regarding the follicles they were in and the luteal period, the follicular phase (bleeding period + proliferative phase, time until ovulation, 14 days). In addition, for the luteal phase between the 14th day and the 28th day of ovulation, information was obtained from 485 participants and 296 people (60.5%), while in the follicular phase, 189 (38.7%) individuals were in the luteal phase after ovulation.
As shown in Fig. 1, when we analyzed the menstrual cycle in four different seven stages, 176 (36%) of the participants were in the 1st stage (1–7 days), 122 (24.9%) were in the 2nd stage (8–14 days), 103 (21.1%) were in the 3rd stage (15–21 days), and 84 (17.2%) were in the 4th stage (22–28 days).
Considering the masturbation rate, the person who stated that he did not masturbate was 160 (32%), while the number of masturbations was 329 (67.3%). On the day of participation, the average Libido score was 6.21 ± 2,530 (min 0 and max 10) out of 10. Of the 489 people who participated in the study, 214 had participated in sexual activity in the last week (43.8%), while 275 had not (56.2%).
Libido in Menstrual Cycles Stages
During the menstrual cycle, the follicular stage before ovulation and the luteal stage after ovulation were compared in terms of libido.
Hypothesis
The libido phenotype is more prevalent in the preovulation follicular phase than in the postovulation luteal phase.
The mean Libido scores in the follicular and luteal periods were found to be slightly greater in the follicular phase and the preovulation period (6.62 vs 6.53). This difference was statistically significant (F = 4.58 and p = 0.033).
Hypothesis
An increase in libido will be observed on days 8–14, the previous phase closest to ovulation.
The menstrual period days 1–7, 8–14, 15–21, and 22–28 were divided into four stages (bleeding, preovulatory, ovulatory, and luteal stages), and visual analog libido scores were compared via one-way ANOVA and post hoc tests; the only difference was a mean score difference of 1,136 in the first seven days. The process produced between 1–2 phases. As observed in the experiment, a higher visual analog libido score was detected in the first seven days.
Hypothesis
Women who initiate sexual intercourse before ovulation are in the previous closest phase to ovulation.
The libido values were greater (7.18 vs 6.11) for women who started sexual intercourse than for those who started sexual intercourse for their spouse or partner (F = 2.86 and p = 0.001). While 67 (62%) women-initiated sex in the follicular phase and 41 (38%) women in the luteal phase, their male partners initiated 97 (59.9%) follicular and 65 (40.1%) luteal sexual intercourse sessions. Women were slightly more likely to initiate sexual intercourse in the follicular phase than in the luteal phase (62% vs 38%). In total, the number of sexual intercourse sessions was greater in the follicular phase (n = 164 vs. 106 and 60.7 vs 39.3%, respectively) for both sexes. However, a significant difference was not detected between the two groups (𝜒2 = 0.127 and p = 0.410). After ovulation, a decrease in the frequency of initiating sexual intercourse is observed in both sexes. The rate of initiating sexual intercourse decreased from 62–38% in women and from 59.9–41.1% in men (Fig. 2).
When examined over four different seven-day menstrual periods, 43 (39.8%) women initiated sexual intercourse in the first seven days immediately after the end of menstrual bleeding, 25 (23.1%) in the second seven days after ovulation, 17 (15.7%) in the third seven days and 17 (15.7%) in the last seven days. The frequency of initiating sexual intercourse in the first seven days was significantly different (𝜒2 = 8.68, df = 3 and p = 0.034).
Hypothesis
There will be an increase in the tendency to thaw before or near the ovulation period.
Considering the masturbation status of 489 individuals, the distribution weights were n = 329 (67.3%) for yes and n = 160 (32.7%) for no. When the participants were compared according to whether they had masturbated or not and according to the 14-day follicular and luteal periods, chi-square tests revealed a greater frequency of masturbation in the follicular phase (289 versus 40). The difference was statistically significant (𝜒2 = 12.263; df = 2 and p = 001). The libido score was significantly greater in those who masturbated (F = 8,413 and p = 0.0001). Interestingly, a relationship was detected between menstrual bleeding duration and masturbation frequency. It was determined that women with shorter menstrual bleeding durations masturbated more frequently (F = 2.417 and p = 0.002).
ANALYSIS OF MENSTRUAL CYCLE DIARY
To examine the relationship between sexual libido and the menstrual cycle in a healthy female population, 25 heterosexual women with partner were asked to maintain a daily sexual interest record during from one menstrual cycle to other. Each person was given a fixed chart on a daily basis and recorded their libido scores, whether they masturbated, whether they had sexual intercourse, and whether they initiated sexual intercourse themselves. The average age was 25 women (min 22 and max 36 age) for. None of them had signs of depression on the Beck depression scale.
Hypothesis
The libido phenotype is more prevalent in the preovulation follicular phase than in the postovulation luteal phase.
The 28-day menstrual cycle was compared with the results of repeated measurements 14 days before and 14 days after ovulation, when the mean pre- and postovulation Libido scores were relative to the 14th day of ovulation. The mean libido score of 25 women before ovulation was 4.39 ± 1.32, while the mean libido score was 5.12 ± 0.56 after ovulation. The difference was statistically significant (F = 0.93 and p = 0.04; Cohen’s d = 0.99). When menstrual periods were divided into two 14-day periods, the average libido score was generally greater in the second period. Interestingly, considering the correlation between the mean libido score 14 days before ovulation and 14 days after ovulation, the increase in the libido score 14 days before ovulation was important (r = 0.561) and significant (p = 0.004). On the other hand, a weaker (r = 0.388) and partially significant (p = 0.05) correlation was found with the mean libido score 14 days after ovulation.
Hypothesis
An increase in libido will occur at 8–21 days or in the closest phase to ovulation.
The menstrual cycle was divided into four different phases: days 1–7, 8–14, 15–21, and 22–28 days, and the Libidos in these phases were compared via one-way ANOVA. The average Libido scores obtained from the diaries of 25 women in the first seven days were 3.93 ± 1.71 and 4.99 ± 0.25 in the second seven days and 5.04 ± 0.83 in the third seven days and 5.04 ± 0.28 in the last seven days. One-way ANOVA was used to detect differences between groups (F = 2.86, p = 0.05 and eta-squared = 0.264). According to the post hoc LSD analysis, a clear and significant difference was detected between the first seven days and the second seven days of libido (mean difference: -1.06, p = 0.049) and between the first seven days and the third seven days just after ovulation (mean difference: -1.42 and p = 0.013). A significant difference (mean difference: -1.11 and p = 0.034) was also detected between the first seven days and the last seven days of menstruation. In this respect, while the lowest libido was immediately after menstruation, the increase in libido showed a remarkable increase seven days before and seven days after ovulation (Fig. 3).
Hypothesis
Women who initiate sexual intercourse before or closest to ovulation.
The 14 days of the follicular phase before ovulation and the 14 days of the luteal phase after ovulation were calculated by sex resumption in the diaries of the pregnant women. The capacity of 25 women to initiate sexual intercourse for 28 days was assessed daily according to the day of their menstrual cycle. Accordingly, while the percentage of women who did not initiate sexual intercourse in the follicular phase was 5.30 ± 3.47, it was slightly greater in the luteal phase (6.66 ± 2.63). However, a statistically significant difference was not detected between the follicular and luteal phases (F = 2.09 and p = 0.160). The menstrual cycle was divided into four seven-day periods, and the initiation of sexual activity was compared. The average time to initiate sexual activity was 3.57 ± 3.64 in the first seven days, 6.71 ± 2.42 in the second seven days before ovulation, 6.83 ± 2.92 in the seven days after ovulation, and 7.0 ± 2 in the last seven days. It was found to be 39. Although there was an increase in the incidence of ovulation and sexual intercourse after ovulation, no significant difference was detected in the ANOVA between groups (p = 0.103).
Hypothesis
There will be an increase in the tendency to masturbate before or closest to ovulation.
The 14 days of the follicular phase before ovulation and the 14 days of the luteal phase after ovulation were calculated by sex resumption in the diaries of the masturbation. The average masturbation frequency was determined to be 1.46 ± 0.96 in the follicular period and 1.5 ± 1.18 in the luteal period. No significant difference was detected between the two periods (F = 0.576 and p = 0.86). The menstrual cycle was divided into four seven-day periods, and the participants’ masturbation frequency was compared. An average of 1.42 ± 1.13 was detected in the first seven days, 1.85 ± 1.21 in the second seven days before ovulation, 1.14 ± 0.89 in the seven days after ovulation and 1.5 ± 1.13 in the last seven days. No significant difference was detected between the groups (p = 0.679).