The Bizarre Side Effect 1 In 100 People Experience During Sex

“The vast majority of headaches associated with sexual activity are benign,” Ehsan Ali, M.D., tells SELF. “But in a small percentage of cases, these headaches can be due to a serious underlying condition, such as a hemorrhage, brain aneurysm, stroke, cervical artery dissection or subdural hematoma,” says the Loyola Medicine primer on the topic. Even though “abrupt-onset and slow-to-build sex headaches can be primary headache disorders not associated with any underlying condition…sex headaches associated with loss of consciousness, vomiting, stiff neck, other neurological symptoms and severe pain lasting more than 24 hours are more likely to be due to an underlying cause,” says Mayo Clinic.