Can I Get Pregnant While on My Period?
- Shannon Leach, MSN, ARNP
- May 30
- 5 min read
The short answer? YES!!
It is a common misconception that women cannot get pregnant during their periods. And to be totally honest, I, too, had the same misconception while I was growing up. In fact, in the early years of middle/high school, I had no clue about my “fertile” window whatsoever– I honestly thought you could get pregnant any time you had sex!! MANY women have misconceptions about when and how they can get pregnant, if you are confused, you're not alone.
This is one reason why cycle tracking and education are CRITICAL for all women young and old and why I now feel so compelled to educate my patients about their bodies so that they all feel educated, empowered, and equipped to advocate for their own health. I
Today, however, I want to address the question that many women ask: “Can I get pregnant while on my period?”
The short answer? YES!!
The likelihood of getting pregnant while on your period is LOW, but it is not impossible. First, let’s start with some basics…
How long does an egg live for?
An egg (ovum) lives for just 12-24 hours after ovulation.
How long do sperm live for?
Sperm can live up to 5 days!
How do I identify my fertile window?
In order to identify your fertile window, you must be able to determine your approximate time of ovulation – this can be done by learning a fertility awareness-based method (see our March blog HERE). According to FEMM protocols (the fertility awareness-based method in which I am trained), the fertile window begins when fertile-type (estrogenic) mucus is present and lasts three days after your peak day. Peak day is the last day of estrogenic cervical mucus. The peak day correlates with ovulation.
Many menstrual cycle tracking apps that women use to track their menstrual cycles make the false assumption that every woman ovulates on day 14. I don’t ovulate on day 14, and you may not either…however, this false assumption is one reason that some women believe that you cannot get pregnant while on your period. If you DO ovulate on day 14, then, no, you would not be able to get pregnant while on your period.
The problem, however, is that some women have very short or irregular cycles, and/or their ovulation occurs EARLY.
If a woman has a short cycle, such as 21 days long, she will likely ovulate earlier than a woman with a normal cycle length. Ovulation is typically considered early if it occurs sooner than day 11 of the ovulatory cycle, which could clearly happen in a 21-day cycle.
What else might cause a woman to ovulate early?
Early ovulation can occur due to a multitude of factors including, but not limited to: perimenopause, stress (mental, physical, etc.), hormonal imbalance, lifestyle factors (smoking, nutrition, etc), thyroid disorders, etc.
While it is uncommon, it IS possible for a woman to get pregnant if she has intercourse during her period. The risk increases the farther away she gets from the first day of her period, but lessens if she has sex on the first day of her period.
Remember: Sperm can live for up to FIVE days. So consider this: You have sex on day 5 of your period, and you ovulate on day 7 of your cycle – sperm can still be present, which means fertilization is possible when your egg is released upon ovulation.
Another example is if you have intercourse on day 7 of your menstrual bleeding and then ovulate on day 11. The sperm could still be hanging out in the fallopian tube(s), and fertilization could occur.
Ovulation can sometimes occur DURING your period, and you may not even be aware, as the cervical fluid mixes with blood. Again, it is uncommon for ovulation to occur this early, but it is still possible. While the odds aren’t high, women can, indeed, get pregnant from intercourse during their period if ovulation occurs early.
An additional consideration is this: Some women experience mid-cycle spotting or bleeding and mistake that for their period, when it may actually be spotting related to ovulation. If you have intercourse during that time, pregnancy is also possible.
Bottom Line:
Every woman’s cycle is different and, therefore, it is important to know YOUR body and YOUR cycle. Are you able to identify when you are ovulating? If not, learning a fertility awareness-based method is tremendously beneficial. See our blog post from March HERE to learn more about fertility awareness-based methods.
A Word of Caution:
Many people are now using apps to help them identify when they are ovulating. The problem with many of these apps, though, is that they utilize historical data and not real-time data. What do I mean? Many apps take the first day of your last menstrual period and will tell you that you will ovulate on day 14. Why? Historically, textbooks have told us that a woman’s menstrual cycle is on average 28 days long and that women ovulate halfway through. The problem with this, though, is that not every woman has a 28-day cycle and not every woman ovulates on day 14. (I certainly don’t!!!).
If, for example, you ovulate on day 17 instead of 14, but you’re using an app that assumes you ovulate on day 14, the app might tell you that your fertile window ends on cycle day 17. But, if you’re actually OVULATING on day 17 and have intercourse on day 18, there is a chance that you could become pregnant.
It is really, REALLY important if you are using an app, that you find an app that bases your day of ovulation on REALTIME physiologic data such as your cervical mucus, LH or other urinary hormone testing, and/or basal body temperature that YOU are observing and inputting. Here are a few examples of apps using real-time data:
FEMM
Read your Body
Kindara
Natural Cycles
Chart Neo
Fertility Friend
Knowing your body and knowing when you ovulate matters… especially if you are wanting to avoid pregnancy OR achieve pregnancy. The timing of intercourse in relation to ovulation will determine whether or not pregnancy is possible. I strongly encourage you to learn more about this, so that you know your approximate ovulation based on the signals that your BODY is sending… not because an app is telling you so. You know your body far better than any app ever could!!
It is really important to me as a clinician that my patients know their bodies – that they know what is happening throughout their cycle and that they are able to identify when they are ovulating. It is also important to me that my patients feel comfortable enough with me to ask me questions such as, “Is it possible to get pregnant if I have sex during my period?” If you are looking for a clinician who can spend a full hour with you to discuss your women’s health needs, and any questions you might have, I’d love to see you at Cascade Women’s Health!
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