It may sound like some bizarre medieval ritual, but period-trapping is the devious way 21st century women are checking if their relationship is the real thing. Here’s everything you need to know about the trend and how to pull it off if that’s your thing.
- The ‘are we or aren’t we?’ stage of a relationship is torture. He likes you, you like him, you’re pretty sure that you’re seeing each other exclusively—s0 what’s stopping you from being in an official relationship? Nine times out of 10, it’s that both people are too chicken to be the first to admit they want girlfriend or boyfriend status. The fear of rejection is real.
- Period-trapping is a tried and tested method but it’s not for the faint-hearted. To pull off a successful period-trap, you have to be up for sharing that it’s that time of the month with the guy you’re sleeping with. It’s easier to period-trap by text than have the ‘where is this going?’ chat.
- Start by luring him into a fruitless sex trap. Once you and your guy have a good thing going on, you’re free to set the trap. To truly pull off a period-trap, you need to start by sowing the seeds of sex. Do whatever you need to do to get your guy going. This could be anything from an ‘I miss you’ text to a cheeky nipple snap—just make sure it’s going to lead to him wanting to head straight over and rip your clothes off.
- Get him to commit to coming over. Miss this crucial step and you’ll have no idea if the guy is avoiding your time of the month or genuinely has tickets to see the Goo Goo Dolls. You need to make yourself available (for a cuddle at least) and establish that your guy is free to come over. The moment before he heads for the front door is the time to play your wild card.
- Only then reveal that sex is off the cards. Once he’s committed to the date, it’s time to set the trap. Casually reveal that sex won’t be on the menu as your vagina is otherwise engaged (if you’re feeling brave, drop in how much you’re looking forward to a comforting snuggle). Time to sit back, relax, and see how your guy responds to the p-bomb.
- If he comes over anyway, congratulations! A guy who stands by his word and comes over on your period is genuinely interested in you for you and whether he says it out loud or not, he’s boyfriend material. Congratulations, you can consider your guy successfully trapped (bonus points if he’s picked up ice cream on the way).
- It might mean the end of things, but at least you know. The problem with period trapping is that you have to be prepared for things to go either way. Going out on a limb can just as easily result in rejection, so be prepared to be spurned in favor of women who are still up for a casual romp. Still, if the guy was going to flake at some point anyway, you might as well know now and free up your schedule for more sensitive souls.
- A true keeper doesn’t give a damn if you’re on your period or not. Let’s face it—when you’re in a relationship, sex is off limits a quarter of the time (or more than that if you account for days when you’re tired or have a slight headache), so a guy has to get used to that if he wants to stick around. A true keeper won’t care if you’re on your period or a spotty, hormonal mess—he’ll want to be there for you just the same.
- Think of all the snuggle opportunities opened up to you. To recap: period-trapping is the ultimate way to tell if a guy is interested in you or a casual hookup. It may not work out every time, but when it does, you’ve got yourself a one-way ticket to snuggle city, my friend. When you can be affectionate without getting sexual, you know a guy is worth your time.
