It is a common misconception that if a woman has unprotected sex during her period, she cannot get pregnant. The reality is that although it is unlikely that she will get pregnant during her period, it is entirely possible.
It is possible to get pregnant with the period
- To get pregnant during your period, you should have a very short menstrual cycle, that is, the time from the first day of your period to the next menstruation was not very long… or quite the opposite.
- Conception occurs when an egg and sperm meet in the fallopian tube sometime during the middle of the menstrual cycle, usually between days 12 and 16 (in a 28-day cycle). The egg matures and survives in the fallopian tube for about 24 hours after being released from the ovary. If there are sperm in the fallopian tube they can fertilize the egg and cause a pregnancy, if the egg is not fertilized they are shed along with the uterine lining during menstruation.
- A typical menstrual cycle is usually 28 days long, but some women have shorter cycles of 22 days. If you have a short cycle you could ovulate while you are on your period or immediately after. You can have sexual intercourse during your period and the sperm that survive in the reproductive tract -up to six days- fertilize the egg.
- For all this, it is perfectly possible for a woman to get pregnant while on her period and to be surprised if it happens. So from now on it is better to take contraceptive measures if you want to have sex with your partner but do not want to get pregnant.
