Is it Possible to Get Pregnant from Pre-Cum? What Can You Expect?
Is it possible to get pregnant?
what to expect
- Is it Possible to Get Pregnant from Pre-Cum?
- But I thought pre-cum was devoid of sperm?
- When does pre-cum take place?
- If you aren’t ovulating, can you get pregnant via pre-cum?
- Emergency contraception options
- When should you take a pregnancy test at home?
- When should you see your doctor?
Men release a fluid called pre-ejaculation, or pre-cum, before they climax. Pre-cum appears just before sperm, which contains living sperm that can result in pregnancy.
Many individuals feel that because pre-cum does not contain sperm, there is no chance of an unwanted pregnancy. That, however, is not the case.
There is a lot of misconceptions about this subject, but the basic answer is that it is possible to become pregnant while on pre-cum. Continue reading to find out how and why.
But I thought pre-cum was devoid of sperm?
You are correct: pre-cum does not contain any sperm. Sperm can, however, leak into the pre-cum.
A gland in the penis produces pre-cum, which is a lubricant. It is secreted prior to ejaculation. After ejaculation, sperm may loiter in the urethra and mingle with pre-cum on its way out.
In fact, a 2016 study detected mobile sperm in the pre-cum of roughly 17% of male participants, according to Trusted Source. Another study released in 2011Trusted Source discovered mobile sperm in 37 percent of 27 men’s pre-cum samples.
Peeing before intercourse can help wash away any leftover sperm, lowering the chances of sperm appearing in your cumulus.
When does pre-cum take place?
You don’t have any control over pre-cum. Fluid release is an uncontrollable physiological process that occurs just prior to ejaculation.
This is why the withdrawal approach does not function as well as other birth control methods like tablets or condoms at preventing pregnancy.
Pre-cum is likely to enter your partner’s vagina even if you pull out shortly before you climax. And studies suggest that this can result in an unexpected pregnancy.
According to a 2008 study, 18% of couples who utilize the withdrawal strategy will become pregnant within a year. According to a 2013 National Health Statistics ReportTrusted Source, around 60% of American women use this birth control method.
According to the Feminist Women’s Health Center, the withdrawal strategy is roughly 73 percent successful at preventing pregnancy.
If you aren’t ovulating, can you get pregnant via pre-cum?
The short answer is yes: even if you aren’t ovulating, you can get pregnant via pre-cum.
Although pregnancy is more likely to occur when you’re ovulating, sperm can linger for up to five days within your body. This means that if sperm is present in your reproductive canal prior to ovulation, it may still be there and alive when you ovulate.
Ovulation occurs in the middle of your menstrual cycle on average. This is normally 14 days before your next period begins. Because sperm has a five-day life span inside your body, you have a better chance of becoming pregnant if you have sex frequently for five days before and on the day you ovulate — known as “the fertile window.”
People who have irregular periods will have a harder difficulty determining when they are fertile and ovulating.
Emergency contraception options.
Preventing pregnancy with the pull-out procedure is ineffective. If you do use it, having emergency contraception (EC) on hand in your medicine cabinet may be beneficial.
Up to five days after having unprotected sex, emergency contraception can help prevent pregnancy. This is because it causes ovulation to be delayed or prevented in the first place.
This signifies that your mature egg will not be released for fertilization. It’s more sensible to just use more dependable protection to avoid pregnancy in the first place.
Over-the-counter or through your doctor, there are two sorts of EC:EC tablets with hormones.
Up to five days following unprotected sex, you can use hormonal emergency contraceptive pills. They work best if you take them within the first 72 hours after receiving them.
Hormonal EC tablets are safe to take, but they do have certain adverse effects, just like birth control. This includes the following:
stomach, discomfort, headache, nausea, vomiting, breast, tenderness,
dizziness\sfatigue
Contraception with an IUD in an emergency.
The Copper-T is a type of intrauterine device (IUD) that can also be used as a form of emergency contraception. The Copper-T IUD, according to Princeton University, can minimize your chances of becoming pregnant by more than 99 percent. As a result, it outperforms hormonal EC tablets.
To prevent pregnancy, your doctor can place the Copper-T IUD up to five days following unprotected sex. The Copper-T IUD can also be used as a long-term birth control device, lasting up to 12 years.
When should you take a pregnancy test at home?
Although the withdrawal strategy has worked in the past, there is still a potential that you will become pregnant as a result of pre-cum. If you suspect you’re pregnant, you can use an at-home pregnancy test to confirm your suspicions.
You may feel compelled to take an at-home test immediately away, but this may be premature. Wait until after the first day of your missed period to take a pregnancy test, according to most doctors. However, you should wait until the week after your missing period to test for the most reliable results.
Women who don’t have regular cycles should wait at least three weeks following unprotected sex before testing.
When should you see your doctor?
You should talk to your doctor about your results. A positive test result is usually always accurate, but a negative test result is less so. It’s possible that you tested too soon or that you’re taking medications that have influenced your results.
To establish whether you’re pregnant or not, your doctor may ask you to do a urine test, a blood test, or both. If you’re expecting a child, talk to your doctor about your options.
The bottom line.
Although the chances of becoming pregnant via pre-cum are minimal, it is still possible. Sperm can still be found in the urethra, where they mingle with pre-cum before ejaculation.
If you utilize the withdrawal method, keep in mind that, according to one 2009 article, 14 to 24 percent of couples will fall pregnant over the course of a year if they follow it.
If you wish to avoid pregnancy, choose a more reliable procedure. To aid you, keep emergency contraception on hand.
If you have any worries or a positive pregnancy test, see your doctor. Your doctor can discuss your family planning, abortion, and future pregnancy options with you.