For a week every month, I feel like a man. And, just to clarify, I mean that in both senses of the phrase.

Once a month, around the middle of my cycle, I get a hormonal surge. For the few days before I ovulate, and the couple of days after, my libido goes through the roof. While not every woman notices this fertile period (the pill, stress, depression and lifestyle factors can affect hormones), for many women it͛'s very distinct.

Every month it occurs to me that men are distracted by sex all the time. Credit:Stocksy

I don't suffer badly from PMS these days, but I do suffer terribly from libido. It's a huge distraction. For those few days, I think about sex a lot. And let me tell you, it's highly irritating. I'm a busy woman. I need to stay focused. I don't have time for sexual fantasies.

But you know what else it is? It's illuminating. Because every month it occurs to me that this is how many men feel all the time. Distracted by sex. Fighting off fantasies as they work. Wondering when they're next going to get laid.