Can you get pregnant if you have sex while you are in your period? Show Yes — it’s possible to get pregnant if you have unprotected sex during your period. However, it’s less common for this to happen. Here’s the deal: A woman is most likely to get pregnant from sex that happens just before and during ovulation (when an egg is released). Ovulation happens in the middle of the time you get periods, usually about 14 days before your period starts. It’s more likely that you could become pregnant from sex during your period if you have a shorter menstrual cycle. All of this might sound really complicated, especially if you aren’t sure how long your menstrual cycle is, or when you’re ovulating. During the first few years that you have a period, it’s pretty typical for your menstrual cycle to be irregular — which makes this stuff even harder to keep track of. But if you use a birth control method like condoms or the pill (both is even better) every time you have sex, your chances of getting pregnant are really really low, whether you’re on your period or not. Tags: periods, ovulation, am I pregnant, sex during period Is it possible to conceive while menstruating? Can sperm survive in blood? Fertility expert and OBGYN Dr. Gleaton gives us the 4-1-1. By OBGYN and fertility expert Dr. Kenosha Gleaton Whether you’re trying to conceive or not, it’s helpful to know how to plan around your fertile and not-so-fertile windows. Let’s talk about how menstruating can impact your chances of conceiving. Likelihood of getting pregnant while menstruatingBased on a typical 28 day menstrual cycle, it’s extremely unlikely to get pregnant while menstruating. The period marks the first day of a new cycle, and the fertile period starts around day 9-14. This means that for pregnancy to occur, you’ll need to have sex during the fertile window as sperm can only live inside the reproductive tract for around five days. Of course, there are individuals who may experience irregular periods and determining the fertility window may be a bit challenging. The chances of conceiving on the first few days of your period are when it is the most unlikely to conceive, although the likelihood does increase towards the end of the menstrual period. How does getting pregnant on your period occurIn order for pregnancy to occur, sperm has to fertilize a mature egg. If you only had sex on your period and still got pregnant, this may point to a few things:
Read more about spotting → So while the chances of getting pregnant from period sex are low, there are still some factors that can increase the chances. A shorter cycle, irregular menstruation, and spotting are just a few factors that can play a role. Can sperm survive in menstrual blood?Yes, sperm can survive in menstrual blood. Sperm can survive in the reproductive system during the five days prior to and the day after ovulation, regardless of if menstruation is occuring. What’s ovulation anyway?Ovulation is the release of an egg from the ovary and occurs typically 14 days prior to the next cycle (menstruation). Ovulation is triggered by a surge of Luteinizing Hormone or LH and typically occurs within 48 hours of this surge. The ovary releases an egg which travels into the fallopian tube and toward the uterus. The lifespan of a released egg is only 24 hours, and if not fertilized during this time, it will die. Ovulation is detectable in the urine using ovulation tests, which measure LH levels and can be useful in timing intercourse when trying to conceive. Although pregnancy can occur during the five days prior to and the day after ovulation, you are most likely to conceive if sperm are swimming in the fallopian tubes prior to ovulation occurring. How to reduce the chances of getting pregnantIf you’re not trying to conceive, there are a lot of ways to reduce your chances. Birth control comes in many forms. Here’s a quick breakdown:
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