Can I Get Pregnant If I Have Sex During My Periods?
Written By Kirti Gaggar
Medically Reviewed By Dr. Yash Bahuguna, MBBS, MS, DNB, Medical Registration No. 110281
Last Updated: 27 July 2025
Read Time: 2 mins
Sex during periods can cause pregnancy, although the risk is low. Based on the length of your menstrual cycle, the chances of getting pregnant if you have sex during your periods may not be as low as you may imagine it to be!
On average, sperm can live, or stay viable (alive and active) in the reproductive tract of a woman upto 5 days after unprotected sex. As a consequence, based on when one ovulates (egg is released) and how long one’s period is, there is a chance of pregnancy even if one has sex during their periods. Simply put, if your cycle length is short, your fertile window may be earlier than you may think it to be. So even if you have sex on your periods, you may ovulate shortly after, and there may be a chance of the sperm staying alive in your system and coming into contact with the egg! 1
Ovulation roughly happens in the middle of the menstrual cycle. For example, if you have a 28 day menstrual cycle and your periods last for 7 days. This means that you may ovulate roughly between the 12th-14th day. If you have sex on the 6th day of your periods, sperm could stay viable till the 11th day. However, if you have sex on the 7th day then it would be viable till the 12th day. Similarly, imagine your cycle was around 25 days long – that means you ovulate on the 11th day. If you had unprotected sex during the 7th day of your periods, then you are at risk.
It is therefore untrue that one can have unprotected sex during periods and not get pregnant! Using birth control like condoms, birth control pills, etc is always a good idea if you aren’t intending on getting pregnant.2
It’s a myth that period sex is always safe from pregnancy. Understanding your cycle and protecting yourself with birth control is key. Need help figuring out what works best for you? Talk to a gynaecologist on the Pinky Promise app for just ₹99 - judgment-free, expert advice anytime.
References
1 - Can You Get Pregnant on Your Period? ; Cleveland Clinic (https://health.clevelandclinic.org/can-you-get-pregnant-on-your-period/). Retrieved on 23.03.2022
2 - Can You Get Pregnant if You Have Sex on Your Period? ; Healthline (https://www.healthline.com/health/pregnancy/sex-on-period). Retrieved on 23.03.2022
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