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We had sex without a condom and my period’s late. Am I pregnant?

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Someone asked us:

My boyfriend and I had sex with and without a condom multiple times this month, I’m on birth control, but it’s low dose. He never came inside me, but my period is almost a week late and i havent taken a pregnancy test yet. We’re broke, and I can’t have a kid at 14 years old. Please help?
If you’re using your birth control correctly and use a back-up method when you need to (like if you miss a pill), that means you’re taking the right steps to prevent pregnancy. For example, research shows that fewer than 1 in every 100 women who use birth control pills becomes pregnant within a year of using them if she always takes them correctly. 

So what does fewer than 1 in every 100 women mean exactly? For one thing, it doesn’t mean that somewhere out there half of one woman is walking around in maternity sweatpants bitterly stocking up on diapers and baby food. What it does mean is that in a group of more than 100 ladies who take their pill correctly all the time, there may be one woman whose birth control pills fail and who ends up pregnant. Basically it’s very rare, but it can happen.

While those are really good odds in your favor already as far as pregnancy goes, using condoms when you have sex is the only way to avoid sexually transmitted infections. If you take your pills as directed every day and use a condom every time you have sex, it’s way more likely that you’ll end up valedictorian AND prom queen AND class president by the time you’re a senior than ending up pregnant.

-Emily at Planned Parenthood
Tagged: questionsam i pregnantbirth controlcondomsthe pill

Peeing to prevent pregnancy


Someone asked us:

Q. I was wondering about a rumor I had heard. Something about how urine has chemicals that, not necessarily kills sperm, but reduces the risk of getting pregnant. So going to the bathroom after sex helps lower your chance. Is this true, or ever heard of this or anything?

Going to the bathroom after sex does absolutely nothing to lower your chances of getting pregnant.

Even if urine had the ability to kill sperm, peeing wouldn’t have any effect on the sperm that have already entered the vagina, because urine comes out your urethral opening (aka pee hole – which is different from your vaginal opening). It’s a different set of plumbing, basically.

Once the semen goes into the vagina, there’s nothing you can do to get it back out again (douching, showering, jumping up and down, swearing you’ll never have unprotected sex again, etc.). Those li’l guys are in there and they’re not leaving. So at that point, if you’re not already on a form of birth control, you’d want to consider emergency contraception instead. (Click here to learn more about emergency contraception.)

The only things that actually, in real life, reduce the risk of getting pregnant are:

  • Correctly and consistently using a form of effective birth control.  You can use our My Method tool to help you figure out which one might be best for you.  You might even want to consider using a condom plus another form of birth control (like the pill,  NuvaRing, or an IUD).

Hope that helps!
-Mary at PPFA

Tagged: QuestionsMythsAm I pregnanturine

How close is too close?


Someone asked us:

Q. Hi, I was wondering what are my chances of getting pregnant if my boyfriend ejaculates close to, but not inside, my vagina? Thanks!

Hi! The best way to avoid getting pregnant is to steer clear of your boyfriend’s ejaculate, because pregnancy can happen when sperm gets in the vagina or on the vulva.

That being said, the most likely way to become pregnant is through unprotected vaginal intercourse. But if you and your boyfriend are rubbing up against each other with your clothes off, there’s a small chance that his sperm may come into contact with your vulva or vagina — which can cause pregnancy, even if you don’t technically have vaginal intercourse.

If you want your boyfriend to keep from ejaculating in the neighborhood of your vagina, you may want to consider using condoms. Condoms will also reduce your risk of getting an STD. And it’s always a good idea to talk with your boyfriend about what kind of birth control you want to use before you hit the sack.

-Amy at PPFA

Tagged: Am I pregnantQuestionsPrecum


Someone asked us:

Q. I recently started exercising (running about three times a week) for the first time in my life. I’ve been having my period for about six years and I’ve never really been regular, but since I began running I haven’t had a period and I’m about a month late now. Both the pregnancy tests I’ve used have come back negative; is this normal, or should I be worried?

It might be normal, and it might not be. Your health can make a difference in how often you get your period. Too much exercise or very strict dieting, for example, can use up all your body fat. You might not have periods if that happens. Stress can make a difference, too.

When used correctly, home pregnancy tests are extremely accurate. But if you’re worried that you may be pregnant, you might want to contact a health care provider. Staff at your local Planned Parenthood health center can help you figure out why your period is irregular and tell you if you’re pregnant.

-Amy at PPFA

Tagged: am I pregnantperiodspregnancy testsQuestions

Anonymous asked Planned Parenthood:

Hi, I wanted to know what could be the cause for a late period, besides the obvious; being pregnant?

We replied:

The answer is: a whole bunch of things! Over-exercising or poor nutrition can cause your menstrual cycle to act weird. So can suddenly gaining or losing a lot of weight. Being really stressed out can affect your menstrual cycle, too. You might have a late or skipped period if you’re sick or using certain medication. And if you’ve recently started or changed birth control — especially IUDs and hormonal birth control like the pill, patch, ring, or shot — your period might be irregular.

If your period is AWOL and you’re worried about it (and you’re not pregnant), talk with your health care provider. They can help you figure out what’s up. 

- Alex @ PPFA

Tagged: late periodam i pregnantQuestions

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