Having sex during menstruation, can you get pregnant?

You may be one of those who thinks that having sex during your period will not result in pregnancy. In fact, the assumption that a woman who is menstruating cannot get pregnant is a common misconception. When a woman is menstruating, they can still get pregnant if they have unprotected sex.

Understand how menstruation and ovulation work

"Menstrual phase is defined as the time for blood loss that occurs at the end of the ovulation cycle, due to the egg cell not being fertilized by sperm," as explained by dr. Michele Hakakha, a certified obstetrician and obstetrician based in Los Angeles and author of “Expecting 411: Clear Answers and Smart Smart Advice for Your Pregnancy”.

"Every month, a woman releases an egg on about 14 days of each cycle," says Dr Hakakha. "Before the release of the egg, the hormones in the woman's body increase to prepare for that phase and also thicken the uterine lining to prepare for the egg to be fertilized and pregnancy occurs. If there is no fertilization, the uterine lining will peel off about 14 days later. This is called menstruation. "

Most women have periods that last from two to eight days and occur every 26-34 days. Ovulation (when an egg is released from one of the ovaries) usually occurs in the middle of your cycle and at the most fertile time of your menstrual cycle, meaning the time when you are most likely to get pregnant.

"The egg that is released during the ovulation process lasts only 24 hours," explains Dr. Hakakha. "If it is not fertilized by sperm at this time, the cells cannot survive and will come out along with all menstrual blood about 14 days later."

Most women have menstruation every 28-32 days, and women with this cycle average two to eight days of menstruation, and will not be able to get pregnant while they are menstruating.

Who is still at risk of getting pregnant due to sex during menstruation?

Not all women experience menstrual cycles for 28-32 days. “Some women have shorter menstrual cycles (eg 24 days). "She can have menstruation for seven days, have intercourse on the last day of menstruation, and immediately ovulate three days later," said Dr. Hakakha.

"Because sperm can live for three to five days, women with menstrual cycles like this can still get pregnant if they have sex during menstruation." So if the woman has sex during her period on the last day, sperm can still survive in her body and fertilize the egg on the second or third day after sex.

In addition, some women also experience bleeding when they are not menstruating. This can happen during ovulation and most will think that they are menstruating when they are not.

If you have sex during your period using a condom and you are worried that you might get pregnant, try to check for symptoms such as mild stomach cramps, spotting blood, breast pain, and changes. mood. These symptoms can occur about two weeks after ovulation.

Other pregnancy symptoms to watch out for when you reach six or seven weeks of pregnancy are nausea, vomiting, and severe fatigue.