Can You Get Pregnant During Your Period?

Most women think that the answer to this question is an emphatic no. Conventional wisdom along with everything that we know about the menstrual cycle tells us that you just can’t get pregnant when you’re on your period. However, the truth is not so simple. Although it is very unlikely that you get pregnant if you have sex during your period, it is not impossible.

How does the Menstrual Cycle Works?

To understand this in more detail, let’s first understand how the menstrual cycle works and how pregnancy happens in the first place.

Most women have a menstrual cycle that varies between 21 to 34 days, with 28 days being the most common. A woman releases an egg every month on approximately day 14 of the cycle. This is known as ovulation. Just before the egg is released, the woman’s hormone production increases to thicken the lining of the uterus in case the egg is fertilized and pregnancy occurs.

Now the egg that is released during ovulation survives for only 24 hours after it is released. If it does not get fertilized by a sperm during this time, then it does not survive. The hormone progesterone in the body increases and signals your body to stop producing eggs. The cervical mucus also dries up and the sperm cannot reach your uterus anymore. 12-16 days later, the lining of your uterus is cast off by your body, which is known as your period.

When Can You Get Pregnant?

For pregnancy to occur, the egg released during ovulation needs to get fertilized by the sperm that gets released during sexual intercourse. The sperm can survive within the cervical mucus for up to 5 days. This means that sex that happens five days before ovulation and up to the day after ovulation can result in egg fertilisation, which will lead to pregnancy. If the egg remains unfertilized then pregnancy does not occur and the woman gets her period after 12-16 days.

Can Pregnancy Occur If You Have Sex During Period?

The question now remains whether this fertilization of the egg by the sperm can happen even when you’re having your period. This is possible in a few specific circumstances:

1. If your cycle is shorter than usual

Say for instance you have a menstrual cycle of 24 days and have your period for 7 days. It is quite possible that you have sex during the last day of your period and have your ovulation 3-4 days after that. Since the sperm can survive for up to 5 days, it’s quite possible for you to get pregnant in this scenario.

2. If your period lasts longer than usual

In case your period lasts for up to 8-10 days or even more, it may so happen that you begin ovulating even while you are still on your period or just a few days after. In this case again, since the sperm can survive for 5 days, if you have sex towards the end of your period, you may just get pregnant.

3. In case of breakthrough bleeding

Breakthrough bleeding or spotting can occur in between your periods, especially when you’re ovulating. Women sometimes mistake this spotting for an actual period and think that they are having sex during their period, whereas the bleeding may not be a period at all, and the woman may actually be having sex during ovulation. In such a case, pregnancy becomes a distinct possibility.

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4. If you have an irregular menstrual cycle

Some women tend to have irregular menstrual cycles. This means your cycle may last 22 days one month and go up to 34 days the next. In such circumstances, it becomes very difficult to predict the actual time of ovulation because it varies from month to month. In a situation where the actual date of ovulation keeps shifting, it is quite possible that ovulation may follow soon after your period, resulting in pregnancy if you have sex during your period.

Closing Thoughts

This just goes to show that simply relying on your cycle timing as a method of contraception may not always work. While sex during certain times like just before, during and just after your period is less likely to result in pregnancy, nothing can be ruled out completely. If you are looking for a more effective method of contraception, try birth control or condoms as well.