Can you get pregnant on your period?

Among all the myths surrounding fertility, one of the biggest myths is that it is impossible to conceive during one period. However, biology has a completely different story to tell. Even though pregnancy can occur during menstruation, the chances are relatively small. There are, however, increased cases of conception at this stage. In this blog, we will also look at the causes of pregnancy while on menstruation, focus on the concept of ovulation, and take steps towards pregnancy confirmation, like taking the pregnancy test or even a DNA test while pregnant.

Table of Contents

How can Pregnancy Occur During Menstruation?

Before we try to explain how conception is possible even while on your period, let’s briefly explore the menstrual cycle at large. Wanting is an event where an egg is released by the ovary, usually 14 days before begin of the next period. Cycles can be quite diverse, but more information is required to analyze the extent of those differences. While the cycle is usually 28 days long, ovulation may take place on the last two days of your period if you have a shorter cycle. Also, sperm can last for up to five days in the female body’s reproductive system, so sex during menses could lead to conception in case of ovulation.

For instance, research has found that women with irregular menstruation are likely to get pregnant when menstruating. Smith et al. study conducted in 2020 and published by the Fertility and Sterility revealed that fertility irregularities saw 20% of women with irregular cycles provide ovulation earlier than expected.

What risks make it possible to get pregnant as you are on your period?

Several factors can heighten the risk of conception during menstruation:

Short Menstrual Cycles: If it is shorter than 21 days, you may notice that ovulation occurs at the time when your period is just ending.
Irregular Ovulation: Ovulation must happen at the right time. Unfortunately, hormonal imbalances result in untimely ovulation.
Sperm Longevity: The sperm, therefore, can survive for up to five days, thus widening the fertile window.
Spotting Misinterpreted as a Period: This interference is a cause of misconceptions as to the timing of fertility since mid-cycle spotting may be easily mistaken for periods.

How to Tell Pregnancy After Spotting: What You Need to Know?

If you are having your period and still think you are pregnant t, the first thing to do is to go for a good pregnancy test. Home pregnancy tests are quite reliable nowadays and even more so if the test is taken after a missed period. As a backup, a blood test at the health care provider’s office can prove the existence of (HCG) human chorionic gonadotropin hormone that indicates pregnancy.

If you are already pregnant and need more guidance, say, to confirm paternity, a DNA test while pregnant is possible. DNA testing can be done as early as 10 weeks pregnant using NIPT, which uses the fetal DNA in the maternal bloodstream. This test is harmless for both the mother and the baby.

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Is It Contraceptive When You Track Ovulation and Avoid Intercourse During a Period?

Tracking ovulation can help one understand the fertility window in detail. Other methods for determining the ovulation period include basal body temperature, ovulation predictor kits, and the cervical mucus method. However, these methods are ineffective, especially for women with irregular periods.

A study done in Contraception Journal (2021) showed that 10% of women were able to underestimate their fertile window, therefore getting pregnant unexpectedly (Johnson et al., 2021). This proves that tracking methods are more effective than other contraceptive mechanisms in eliminating cases of unintended pregnancies.

Conclusion:

Even though it is rare to get pregnant while on your period, it is possible to contract pregnancy; the study also pointed to issues like short cycles, irregular ovulation, and sperm survival as likely to determine conception. If you suspect you are pregnant, you may take a pregnancy test, and if you are, you may also consider a DNA test while pregnant. At Choice DNA, we offer comprehensively certified services such as prenatal DNA testing and other more sophisticated services.