By Dr. Poosha Darbha,Sexology

Can I get pregnant when I have sex during my period?

Usually not. But watch out! Occasionally bleeding occurs at the middle of the cycle coinciding with the release of egg. And many women mistake it for a regular menstrual period. They run the risk of unwanted pregnancy if they participate in unprotected sexual intercourse around that day.

If a man withdraws just before ejaculation, releases semen outside and puts his penis in after that - will I get pregnancy?

YES! Because, semen keeps coming drop by drop for some time after ejaculation. And for several hours thereafter, there will be some residual semen deep inside his penis.

Does underwear protect from pregnancy? If both of us have underwear on?

It is possible, if this event occurred around your ovulation day, because the pores within the undergarments are too big to prevent the entry of spermatozoa. They swim across and reach the vaginal opening easily. Of course, the chances of pregnancy are much lower than when the semen is deposited directly inside or on the vagina, but the risk cannot be dismissed.

If a girl swallows cum (semen) …can she get pregnant?

Swallowing the semen does not make a woman pregnant.

Can I get pregnant without going all the way?

The chances of pregnancy are real, even though the penis does not go all the way in, if there is genital contact and semen ejaculated on or near the vaginal opening. The spermatozoa have an amazing capability to swim their way up into the uterus through vagina.

Can I get pregnant from pre-cum?

Yes, pre-cum (a slang word for the drops of pre-ejaculatory fluid that comes out of the penis when the male is sexually aroused) as this may contain sperms remaining in the ducts following a previous ejaculation. However, for pregnancy to occur in such a situation, both the man and women should be highly fertile and the exposure of that fluid to the female genitalia should occur close to the ovulation day.

Can I get pregnant from anal sex?

Studies have proven that anal sex too can cause pregnancy because the semen can seep from the anus and spread up to and into the vaginal canal. Even if you wipe it out, you still run the risk because the spermatozoa, invisible to naked eye, are capable of swimming their way up to the vagina through the moisture contact between vulva and anus.

If there was a small amount of sperm on my hand, and i inserted it into the girl’s vagina a little time after ejaculation, could she become pregnant?

Yes, if all other factors favour it.

I had unprotected protected sex and the guy said he didn’t release any fluids. What are my chances of getting pregnant?

There is no way to tell that he has not released ANY fluids. He could only say about release of semen. But the pre-ejaculatory fluid (pre-cum), which comes out involuntarily, carries some spermatozoa and that much chance of pregnancy.

Can we use condom and still get pregnant?

Condoms do offer protection against pregnancy but they are not fool proof. There is a 10-30% risk of pregnancy if the condom is not properly used – for example, if it breaks during intercourse; if the penis is not withdrawn along with the condom held firmly to the penis, while the penis is still hard; if the same condom is used repeatedly, or after the date of expiry, and so on.

We have a very active sex life and don’t always use protection, but he normally pulls out. So, are my chances of being pregnant really big?

Pulling out just before ejaculation is not totally safe, because his pre-coital secretions (pre-cum) may contain a few sperms; secondly, occasionally he may ejaculate even before he could fully withdraw the penis. It would be much better if you could use a second protection too, such as vaginal contraceptives.