Can I get pregnant just after my period has finished?

I just had sex with my boyfriend and it was just after my period has finished.
He didn't wear condoms and I don't take pills. But I believe the pregnancy happens only on ovulation day which is 14days after the period, so is it safe to have sex without condoms?

DI

Diana Harris

31 Jan, 2022


1 Answer


Alicia Che

Women’s Health Specialist

You probably want to purchase pregnancy kit a week after the missing period.
Let me explain the menstrual cycle and possibility of pregnancy as below. 

The menstrual cycle is divided into four phases, during which various changes take place in the body.

  • Menstrual phase
    This is the time when menstruation is occurring. The lining of the uterus is shed and expelled with the blood. This is the most difficult time of the menstrual cycle to conceive because the levels of luteinizing hormone and follicle hormone, which help to create an environment in the womb suitable for conception, drop significantly. Menstruation generally lasts 3 to 7 days.

  • Follicular Phase
    The time when the menstrual period ends and new eggs are being grown. As the egg grows, the endometrium begins to thicken again and the uterus begins to prepare for pregnancy. The follicular phase lasts an average of 13 to 14 days.

  • Ovulatory Phase
    The time when a mature egg is ejected from a follicle. The ovulatory phase usually lasts 16 to 32 hours, with ovulation occurring 10 to 12 hours after the luteinizing hormone surges. It takes about 12 hours for the ovulated sperm to be able to fertilize the egg.

  • Luteal Phase
    This is the period after ovulation when the uterine lining thickens in preparation for pregnancy. It lasts for about 14 days, and if pregnancy does not occur, it transitions into the menstrual period and menstruation begins.

At first, glance, if you exclude the menstrual period, the follicular phase may seem to be a safe day with little chance of pregnancy, but the possibility of premature ovulation can be iregular. 

The ovulatory phase is the time when the possibility of pregnancy is the highest.

As for the luteal phase, if the egg has lost its fertilizing function, the chances of conception are low, but if fertilization has occurred, this is the best time for implantation.

The mechanism of the menstrual cycle makes it clear that a woman's body can become pregnant at any time.


Ovulation day is not the only dangerous day.

As explained in the section on the mechanism of the menstrual cycle, pregnancy can occur at almost any time during the cycle, so it is incorrect to call ovulation day the only dangerous day.

Some people may think the right after the period ends might be safer, but this is also a big mistake.

The average lifespan of sperm is said to be two to three days, but there are records of sperm surviving for up to seven days.

If a sperm with strong vitality survives to the seventh day of the follicular phase, ovulation may occur a week earlier. This means that there is a possibility of pregnancy.

As a result, there is no such thing as a "safe day," and if you don't want to get pregnant, you should use appropriate birth control methods at any time.

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