Period sex. Some people love it, some people hate it and for others it’s a necessary evil to ensure you don’t spend one quarter of the year in self-imposed chastity.

Whatever your thoughts on the matter, Thinx – the company that brought us period-absorbing knickers – has launched a period sex blanket, for… well… y’know.

The blanket has two sides: one is Thinx’s signature four-layer technology that claims to absorb fluid – the press release is suitably vague on which fluid it refers to – while the other side has a quilted lavender finish with red stitching, a nod to Aunt Flo no doubt. 

This dual side gives the benefit of looking like a regular blanket for non-period sex times, but the drawback of killing the mood somewhat as you ask your partner to get off the blanket so you can flip it over during foreplay.

The Period Sex Blanket – which is its full name and, admittedly quite a turn off (maybe rename yours, like you did your first car) – can reportedly be used multiple times and is machine washable, presumably best done after your period has stopped.

What’s more, it will set you back a whopping $369 (£277), which is more than most people would spend on their entire bedding collection – spare sheets and all.

Suffice to say, if you’re going to be shelling out all that cash, we have questions: Isn’t it just doing the job of a regular blanket if you’re going to have to wash it anyway? Can’t you just put down a towel if you’re that bothered? Why does it cost so much money? And isn’t part of some people’s issue with period sex getting blood on your body, rather than just the sheets?

Maria Molland Selby, CEO of Thinx, hopes the blanket will spark a conversation about period sex. “So many people are made to feel afraid or ashamed of having sex on their period,” she said. “This is more than a blanket, this is another opportunity to bust through yet another period taboo and to open a much-needed dialogue about period sex and sex generally.”

Fighting period sex stigma is something we can definitely get behind, but do we really need a fancy blanket to do so?