The female menstrual cycle is a complex chain of processes in the body, regulated by hormones. Normally, in the middle (usually 12-15 days after the onset of menstruation), ovulation occurs - a mature egg breaks the ovary and leaves it. It is during this period that conception is possible. On other days, the probability of fertilization, although not excluded, is significantly reduced. Changes in a woman’s body are greatly influenced by external and internal factors. Due to illness, stress, overwork, the cycle may go astray and ovulation will happen any other day. That is why it is impossible to give a definite answer to the question of whether it is possible to get pregnant during menstruation. Since it all depends on individual indicators - age, duration of menstruation, health status and so on.
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The probability of pregnancy with a regular cycle
A girl’s normal menstrual cycle can last from 21 to 35 days, most often 28. The count should start from the first day of the discharge and until the first day of the next menstruation. The duration of blood flow is from 3 to 7 days, on average - 5. With a 28-day cycle, two weeks after the onset of physiological bleeding, ovulation should occur. 4-5 days before and the same amount after the egg is released from the follicle is considered dangerous, during which the probability of becoming pregnant is more than 90%.
If a girl has her periods clearly on the calendar, the cycle is established, and its duration is more than 26 days, then the chance of becoming pregnant when having sex during menstruation is minimized.An exception may be malfunctions in the body that cannot be predicted - hormonal changes, delayed ovulation, too early an egg output. But in healthy women, such surprises are rare.
The situation is completely different with girls who have a short cycle. If its duration is 21 days, then ovulation will occur on the 10th day, that is, only 5-6 days after the end of menstruation. A failure for several days is enough due to, for example, slight stress, and sexual intercourse during menstruation without the use of contraceptives will result in pregnancy. And in some situations, menstrual irregularities are not required, since spermatozoa that reach the uterine cavity can exist there for up to 7 days. Accordingly, if sex occurred at the end, when the discharge is already insignificant, then the girl may become pregnant during menstruation.
Is it possible to get pregnant during menstruation with an irregular cycle
If a girl has an irregular cycle, her hormonal background jumps all the time and changes in the body occur randomly. Accordingly, menstruation may not be for a long time, and then they go literally one by one. In such cases, it is impossible to predict the day of ovulation, and there is a great risk of becoming pregnant even during menstruation.
For example, if there was a long cycle (35 days or more), and then unexpectedly shortened to 25. The inner ball of the uterus, which comes out with discharge during menstruation, has become thicker than usual. Because of this, the profusion and duration of bleeding increased, menstruation lasted 9 days, and ovulation, due to the shortening of the cycle, will come to 12. Accordingly, the last 3 days during which the discharge went can be considered fertile (with a high probability of pregnancy) because sperm could enter the uterus and wait for the egg to exit.
Women whose menstruation days change all the time are advised to use protective equipment all the time, regardless of the day of the cycle. It is interesting to know that hormonal contraceptives are able to establish a woman's menstrual function and stabilize the cycle.
Factors Affecting Pregnancy
Any girl who has a sex life runs the risk of becoming pregnant. Even the use of contraceptives cannot give a 100% guarantee that conception will not happen.
But there are factors that increase the chance of becoming pregnant during menstruation:
- Irregular cycle in a girl - due to hormonal disruptions, ovulation can occur immediately after menstruation.
- A prolonged absence of orgasm in a man - in such cases, a man collects more sperm than usual. Accordingly, the chance that sperm will reach the uterus and survive to ovulate increases.
- Tenacious sperm - in the vagina, sperm die within 2 hours, because there is an acidic environment. But if they manage to get to the uterus, the duration of their life increases to several days. Some, especially tenacious, can exist in a woman’s body for a week. Thus, if the girl has a short cycle, menstruation does not save from conception.
- Recent childbirth or abortion - after childbirth or abortion, the hormonal background goes astray, it takes time to resolve it. The duration of the recovery phase for each girl is individual. During this period, ovulation can occur on almost any day of the cycle or not occur at all - anovulatory cycles. This is considered a variant of the norm, and pregnancy can occur even after intercourse during menstruation.
To avoid unpleasant surprises, it is recommended to use contraception during each sexual intercourse, no matter what day of the cycle it occurs.
What days of menstruation are more likely to conceive
In the first 2-3 days of menstruation, girls usually have heavy spotting, so few people practice sexual intercourse during this period.But it is precisely at the beginning of critical days that the chance of becoming pregnant approaches zero, because an unfavorable environment is created for spermatozoa. Often they simply are not able to reach the uterus and die even in the vagina.
Engaging in unprotected sex in the last days of menstruation can result in pregnancy, especially with a shortened (24 or less days) cycle in a girl. This is due to the high probability of ovulation onset just a couple of days after the end of critical days.
Critical days of intercourse: doctors' opinions
Sex on critical days has its pros and cons. According to doctors, he can both improve the condition of the girl and harm both partners.
What is useful for intercourse during menstruation:
- Reduces pain;
- Shortens the duration of bleeding;
- Relieves nervousness, headache.
In addition, most women claim that they experience more vivid sensations during menstruation.
But sex during critical days can also hurt. To release menstrual blood, the cervix opens slightly and gets rid of the protective mucus. In this regard, the risk of infection and the development of inflammation in the uterus and its appendages increases - endometritis, salpingoophoritis. Therefore, it is not recommended to have sex during menstruation with a new, unverified partner. Also, a contraindication to sex these days will be temperature, since it can indicate the presence of infection in the body.
A man also takes risks by having sex with a girl during menstruation. Since blood is a favorable environment for pathogenic microorganisms. Once on the male penis, it can contribute to the emergence of new and relapse of chronic diseases.
You can have sex during your period, but it is recommended that you do this using condoms. Thus, both partners will be protected from infection and unwanted pregnancy.
