A common myth is that having sex during your period is “safe” and won’t lead to pregnancy. While the odds are lower,it is still possible to get pregnant if you have sex on your period -especially if you’re not using contraception1.
Why Pregnancy Can Happen During Your Period
Ovulation is the process where your ovaries release an egg, usually about two weeks before your next period. Sperm can survive in the female reproductive system for up to five days2. If you have sex near the end of your period and ovulate soon after, sperm could still be present to fertilize the egg6.
Factors That Affect Your Risk
- Cycle Length: If you have a short menstrual cycle (e.g., 21 days), you could ovulate soon after your period ends, increasing your risk7.
- Irregular Periods: If your cycle is unpredictable, it’s harder to know when you’re fertile8.
- Sperm Lifespan: Sperm can live up to 3–5 days inside the body, so even sex at the tail end of your period can result in pregnancy if you ovulate early9.
- Mistaken Bleeding: Sometimes, what seems like a period could actually be ovulation bleeding, which is a fertile time1.
How Likely Is It?
- Low but Not Zero: The chances are lowest during the early days of your period but increase if you have sex toward the end or have a shorter cycle2.
- No “Safe” Time Without Protection: There’s no totally safe time to have unprotected sex if you want to avoid pregnancy6.
Other Risks
- STIs: Having sex during your period can also make it easier to transmit sexually transmitted infections (STIs), so protection is important7.
Best Ways to Prevent Pregnancy
- Use Reliable Birth Control: Condoms, birth control pills, IUDs, or other methods are the best way to prevent pregnancy-regardless of your cycle8.
- Double Up: Using condoms along with another method offers extra protection against both pregnancy and STIs9.
- Track Your Cycle: Tracking can help, but isn’t foolproof, especially with irregular cycles1.
How KnotLove Helps Couples Make Informed Choices
Navigating sexual health and pregnancy risk is easier when couples communicate openly and make decisions together. KnotLove supports this with:
- Shared Decisions: Important topics like contraception, STI prevention, and readiness for pregnancy are discussed and agreed upon together, ensuring both partners are on the same page.
- Personal Desires: Each partner can privately express their comfort level with different sexual activities, including those that might carry pregnancy risk.
- Detailed Activity Knowledge: KnotLove provides context and information about each activity, helping couples make safe, informed choices based on real knowledge-not myths.
- Privacy and Consent: Partners can safely share boundaries and preferences, making it easier to talk about sensitive topics like birth control and sexual health.
In summary:While the risk of pregnancy during your period is low, it’s not zero. The best way to protect yourself is to use reliable contraception and communicate openly with your partner. With KnotLove, couples can make shared, informed decisions about their sex lives-empowering both partners to feel safe, heard, and connected.