Can I get pregnant even if my “cherry” has never popped?

By Emily @ Planned Parenthood | Dec. 11, 2014, 3:35 p.m.

Can I still get pregnant if my “Cherry” has never been popped, an he never cam inside me. Also, if I come in for a test (under 18) I’m 17, will I have to bring a parent or will you have to tell my parents?!

Pregnancy can happen if sperm from semen or pre-ejaculate (the clear fluid that comes out of the penis before ejaculating) gets on or into the vagina. If that happened, pregnancy is possible — even if your hymen (AKA “cherry” — the thin fleshy tissue that stretches across part of the opening to the vagina) didn’t break.

Just like other parts of your genitals, everyone’s hymen is a little different. Not everyone’s breaks the first time they have sex. Sometimes it breaks earlier from masturbation, other sexual activity (like fingering), or even from inserting a tampon. For some other people, their hymen was barely there to begin with, so it never breaks..

If you had sex without a condom or other kind of birth control in the last five days, you can use emergency contraception to prevent pregnancy. If it’s been longer than that and you need to take a pregnancy test, the best thing to do is wait to see if you get your period when you’re supposed to get it. If you don’t, then it’s time to take a pregnancy test.

In general, you don’t need your parents’ permission to buy a pregnancy test at the store or to get one at a health center. The same goes for STD testing, which is something you should get if you had vaginal, anal, or oral sex without a condom.

Starting to be sexually active? Getting on a regular method of birth control and using condoms is really important if you don’t want to get pregnant. Your nearest Planned Parenthood health center offers birth control methods and STD testing. Check ‘em out.

-Emily at Planned Parenthood

Tags: pregnancy, hymen, pregnancy test