So it’s here — your monthly period has arrived! Most girls dread missing their periods, but here you are, definitely not pregnant.
You might be thinking, “This could be the best time to have sex,” because how can you be pregnant when you’re on your period, right?
Sorry to burst your bubble, but it is possible to get pregnant while on your period. The chances are low, but it is not totally impossible. How, you ask? These are some of the instances when it might happen.
1. You think you’re on your period, but the bleeding is just caused by ovulation.
During your menstrual cycle, there is a phase called ovulation. This is when your ovaries release egg cells to be fertilized. This is also the period when you are most fertile and most likely achieve pregnancy.
Bleeding can also occur during ovulation, which is why it is very easy for it to be mistaken as menstrual blood. Having sex during this time increases the likelihood of getting pregnant.
2. Your ovulation started just before your period bleeding stopped.
No bleeding does not always indicate that your period or menstrual cycle is finished. Sometimes, your period is already over but it is still present.
It’s still period bleeding, but since ovulation has already started before you stop bleeding, there’s a chance that you can get pregnant when you have unprotected sex during this time.
3. Your ovulation started a few days after your period.
Ovulation usually starts a few days after your period.
The scenario here would be that if you had unprotected sex on your period’s last day, the sperm live inside or survive in your body for 3 to 5 days.
Your fertile window usually begins by then, so there’s a chance that the sperm can still fertilize your egg.
Period sex definitely lowers the odds of you getting pregnant, but it does not eliminate the possibility.
Tracking and understanding your menstrual cycle is the key. Start by counting the days between your menstrual cycles. This means the days between the first day of your period and when you start your next period.
Tracking your average menstrual cycle can take a lot of work and you need to take note of cycles when you ovulate early or when you have a longer cycle or a shorter one. It would be helpful to take note of your body temperature a few days leading to your fertility window or when you had sex with your partner.
By then, you should be able to identify the pattern of your menstrual cycle and pinpoint when phases like ovulation commence. As a woman’s ovulation cycles vary, understanding your own is helpful in tracking the days when you are ovulating and when your body can accommodate conception.
Keep in mind that your most fertile days are two days to one day before ovulation.
Your fertile window typically starts on Day 10 of your cycle if you have a regular 28-day cycle. Longer cycles indicate that the ovulation date is further away, whereas shorter cycles indicate that ovulation occurs earlier than usual. It is important to track your period and your ovulation cycle especially if you have irregular cycles.
Think of it this way: you are most fertile midway through your menstrual cycle. Before and after this middle period in the cycle, you are less likely to conceive. Although the chances of getting pregnant are low, its possibility still exists.
If you are not trying to get pregnant, you must consider having protected sex all the time or by taking contraception or birth control pills-whatever works for you. Not only do you have the first line of defense against unwanted pregnancy or birth control, but, if you use condoms, you also get to protect yourself from unwanted sexually-transmitted diseases.
If you are, however, on the other side of the coin and are trying to conceive or get pregnant, period sex is still not the way to go. Though there’s a chance of pregnancy, it is still pretty slim compared to during your most fertile time or your fertility window.
Overall, the likelihood of conceiving or getting pregnant during your period may not be that significant, but it is still there – you can still get pregnant. While your period may be an indicator that you are not pregnant, the chances of contracting pregnancy increase as you approach the end of your menstrual period and enter into ovulation.
As you learn to track your menstrual cycle, you will be equipped with information on how to handle it and it will give you an idea of when you can most likely get pregnant. Period sex, however, does not guarantee a pregnancy-free outcome.
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