Myths and Truths About Getting Pregnant
1. Is it impossible to get pregnant the first time you have sex?
It is a common myth that you can't get pregnant the first time you have sex. This is simply not true. There is always a possibility that you will get pregnant if you have sex – even the very first time. If you are having sex and don't want to get pregnant, you will need to choose a method of contraception that will suit your body and lifestyle.
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2. Can you take a pregnancy test as soon as you have had sex?
No. In order for a test to give you an accurate result, your body needs to go through several early stages of conceiving. If you have sex and this results in fertilization of an egg, it will then take about 6-7 days for this fertilized egg (which gradually becomes an embryo) to travel down the Fallopian tube and into your womb. The embryo then has to implant into the lining of the womb (implantation) for a pregnancy to continue and for the pregnancy hormone (hCG) to be produced. It is hCG that registers positive on your pregnancy test, but the level won't be high enough to be detected for another few days yet. By the time you would expect to have had your next period, the levels are sufficient to give you a reading that is 99% accurate.
If you are testing before you expect your period to start, we recommend you test with your first urine of the day.
To determine when your next period is due, it is important to have kept track of your usual cycle length over a several month period. You can calculate cycle length by counting the number of days from the first day of a period until the day before your next period starts. Once you know your usual cycle length, you can anticipate when your next period is expected to start.
- You can test for pregnancy whenever you feel the urge to urinate. Avoid excessive fluid intake before testing.
- If you have irregular cycles, you should allow for your longest cycle in recent months before testing.
- If you have no idea when your period is due we recommend testing not less than 19 days after the last time you had unprotected sex.
- If the result is 'Not Pregnant', and pregnancy is still suspected, you should wait at least 3 days before testing again as you may have tested too early.
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3. Are you more likely to get pregnant on the 14th day of your cycle?
No, not necessarily. This is a myth that has been taught in many junior high health classes, but differs from woman to woman—and even from cycle to cycle for any particular woman. When you ovulate depends on your cycle length and the regularity of your ovulation pattern. You are at your most fertile the day before and the day you actually ovulate; this is generally 12-16 days before your next period starts. Although you are at your most fertile during the two days around ovulation, sperm can survive for up to 5 days, so even if you have sex days before you ovulate, the sperm may survive and still be ready to fertilize the egg when you ovulate.
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4. If you have sex during your period can you get pregnant?
It is unlikely, but not impossible, for you to get pregnant during your period. You are only fertile, and therefore able to get pregnant, on a few days each cycle – the days leading up to and around the time of ovulation (when an ovary releases an egg). If, however, you have a short cycle length e.g. 20 days, you could be ovulating around Day 6 of your cycle and could, therefore, be fertile very early in your cycle even though you are still bleeding.
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