Sunday, March 11, 2012

Can I get pregnant if I have sex without penetration?



Yes, although the risk of getting pregnant in this way is very low. If you want to avoid getting pregnant, you should use contraception.

Getting pregnant

Pregnancy happens when a man’s sperm fertilises a woman’s egg.
During sex, semen is ejaculated from the man’s penis into the woman’s vagina. A man's semen (the liquid produced when he ejaculates or 'comes') contains millions of sperm. One ejaculation can contain more than 300 million sperm.
Millions of sperm are also found in the liquid produced as soon as the penis is erect (before the man ejaculates). This liquid is called pre-ejaculate.
A woman's ovaries release one or more eggs (ovulation) 12-16 days before her next period.
The man’s sperm enter the woman's body through her vagina, then travel through her cervix and womb to the fallopian tubes where an egg is fertilised (conception). The egg can be fertilised by sperm contained in semen or pre-ejaculate.

What if I didn’t have sex?

It’s possible for you to get pregnant without having sexual intercourse (penetration) if, for example:
  • sperm get into your vagina, for example, if you or your partner have semen or pre-ejaculate on your fingers and touch your vagina
  • your partner ejaculates near your vagina
  • your partner’s erect penis comes into contact with your body near your vagina
The risk of getting pregnant in this way is very low because sperm can only live for a short time outside the body. However, if you’re not planning a pregnancy, it’s important to know that it’s possible to get pregnant in this way.

Preventing pregnancy

If you don’t want to get pregnant, you should use contraception. For information about the different methods, see contraception: what’s right for me?
It’s also important to remember that only condoms can protect you against both pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). If you use a condom, put it on as soon as your partner’s penis is erect, to prevent any sperm from coming into contact with your vagina.

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