Can you get pregnant if you have sex during your period?

By Kendall @ Planned Parenthood | Aug. 29, 2013, 7:13 a.m.

Can you get pregnant if you have sex while you are in your period?

Yes — it’s possible to get pregnant if you have unprotected sex during your period. But it's not super common, especially during the very beginning of a period.

Here’s the deal: You're most likely to get pregnant when you have sex right before and during ovulation (when an egg is released). Ovulation happens in the middle of your menstrual cycle, usually about 14 days before your period starts. The average menstrual cycle is about 25-30 days, but it can be shorter or longer — it varies from person to person. If you have a shorter menstrual cycle, you have a higher chance of getting pregnant from sex during your period.

All of this might sound really complicated, especially if you aren’t sure how long your menstrual cycle is. And it can be really hard to know exactly when you’re ovulating. Many people also have irregular periods — especially when you're younger — which makes this stuff even harder to keep track of.

So if you want to prevent pregnancy, the best way to go is to use an effective a birth control method like condoms or the pill (or both, for extra protection) every time you have sex. If you use birth control correctly, your chances of getting pregnant are really really low — whether you’re on your period or not.

Tags: periods, ovulation, am I pregnant, sex during period