[myr123]

Hi all,

My girlfriend is currently on the fifth day of her period. We are NOT planning on having children. We had sex today and I ejaculated inside her. What is the probability that she will become pregnant? Should we consider using emergency contraception?

Other information: Her cycle is longer than average (I think 33 days or something but not positive) and her period usually lasts five days to a week. She is eighteen years old.

Thank you.

[mrmnmom82]

A woman can get pregnant ANYTIME. Even during her period, I don't know anything about the percentages, but it only takes once. There is only one full proof, 100%, no way you'll get pregnant. Don't have sex.

[JeanLynn81]

If I were her, and I didn't want to get pregnant, I would haul off to the nearest clinic as fast as I could go, and get the morning after pill.

Then just be more careful from now on. Women who go through the choice of aborting a fetus, live with great guilt the rest of their lives. Do you want to be the cause of that? No! Wait to have kids when you are ready.

[angelic_ky]

it's fairly rare to fall during a period cos with the lining being shedded there's much for the egg to implant into and that's if she ovulates during her period, woman normally ovulate about 2 weeks before their period... but with that said ppl have fallen PG during their period, so in future, if you don't want kids yet, i would recommend using some sort of protection

[myr123]

Thanks for the help. I will take her to a clinic and see about getting emergency contraception tomorrow.

We've been reasonably safe in the past and will be MUCH more careful in the future. This is an anomaly.

A word on abortions: I personally think women who believe abortions are right should be allowed to have them. However neither my girlfriend nor I personally feel comfortable with the idea of terminating a pregnancy, and she has said that she would have the baby if she ever did become pregnant. I'm sure my parents would be supportive too (though hers certainly wouldn't). Anyway it's obviously no fun to have a baby while still in high school, so her NOT getting pregnant is certainly the best option.

Does anyone else have any other comments?

[Samual]

In most women the ovum is not expelled from the uterus until the last day of the period, so chance of pregnancy are very high especially the conditions in the uterus are the best for sperm as well.

You should not wait until tomorrow for the morning after pill, the longer you wait the less effective it is. If the egg had already implanted, the morningn after pill will be useless.

Using no protection does not seem reasonably safe to me, the fact that you ejaculated inside her doesn't actually matter as you release sperm constantly once you are erect.

[twinzplus3]

So do I understand you correctly Samual in that you are saying a uterus, in which the lining is being expelled is a favorable condition for sperm? And that the dead ovum. . .expelled during a period is highly likely to become fertilized. . .the dead ovum which spawned the releasing of the lining that you're saying is favorable to the sperm?

[Samual]

When the endometrium sheds, the pH of the uterus changes, which is more suitable for the sperm to survive, the ovum is normally not dead during the shed, the ovum does not cause the endometrium to be expelled, the corpus luteum, which is a lining that detaches from the ovum, diminishes and causes the lining to be shed. It's also dependant on the womans weight, the more she weighs the longer it takes for the hormonal change to have an effect, where as in a slim woman, the change is far quicker, as no matter how much one weighs, the same amount of hormone is released.

[mollymae]

But you saying an ovum which was released 19 days earlier would still be viable enough?

[twinzplus3]

I have to say Samual I am truly amazed at the vast difference in biology textbooks between here and there.