It is extremely unlikely to get pregnant during a menstrual cycle but it is possible towards the end of the cycle. The key factor is the length of your cycle. Women with a shorter menstrual cycle (time between periods) have a very slim chance of conceiving if they had unprotected sex on the last day of the woman’s period and almost no chance if they had unprotected intercourse during the period. Women with a common cycle (for example 28 days), have almost no chance of conceiving in either scenario.
It is all to do with when during a cycle the woman ovulates, when precisely the unprotected intercourse occurs and how long the man’s sperm can survive in the cervix.
The first factor is ovulation. One of a woman’s ovaries releases an egg approximately 12 to 14 days before the start of the period, this is called ovulation. So if your menstrual cycle is 28 days (4 weeks) in length, ovulation will occur at some time in the middle, for example between day 12 and day 16.
Also important is the length of time the sperm can survive in the cervix. A man’s sperm can only survive up to about five days in the mucus of a woman’s cervix and to become pregnant an egg must be fertilised within 12 hours to one day of ovulation. For example, if you ovulate on day 12 of the cycle, you have a slim chance of conceiving if you had unprotected intercourse five days previously.
In conclusion, what this all means is that if the woman has a shorter menstrual cycle (time between periods), then you have a slim chance of conceiving if you had unprotected sex right at the end of your period and almost none if you had sex during the period.
It is all to do with when during a cycle the woman ovulates, when precisely the unprotected intercourse occurs and how long the man’s sperm can survive in the cervix.
The first factor is ovulation. One of a woman’s ovaries releases an egg approximately 12 to 14 days before the start of the period, this is called ovulation. So if your menstrual cycle is 28 days (4 weeks) in length, ovulation will occur at some time in the middle, for example between day 12 and day 16.
Also important is the length of time the sperm can survive in the cervix. A man’s sperm can only survive up to about five days in the mucus of a woman’s cervix and to become pregnant an egg must be fertilised within 12 hours to one day of ovulation. For example, if you ovulate on day 12 of the cycle, you have a slim chance of conceiving if you had unprotected intercourse five days previously.
In conclusion, what this all means is that if the woman has a shorter menstrual cycle (time between periods), then you have a slim chance of conceiving if you had unprotected sex right at the end of your period and almost none if you had sex during the period.
