When I got my first period, I was told – in the midst of the crisis over my new, bleeding reality – that I had to be careful. Because now I could get pregnant.

Even though I was nowhere near getting one (I was 11), the words burned into my mind. My period and the realization of why I had gotten it started a year-long fear of public restrooms. What if my vagina brushed against a toilet seat where a man had just sat? Could a sperm cell jump into my uterus and get me pregnant?

As time went on and my biology classes caught up with me, I thankfully became wiser. But I still find to this day that there is a lot that we with a uterus don't know about our own bodies and fertility.

Questions like:

• When can I get pregnant?

• Can I have sex during menstruation without getting pregnant?

often recurs in conversations I have with not just young women, but menstruating women of all ages.

So let's take a look at fertility, ovulation and the menstrual cycle and get the clear message.

The article is written by: Emma Libner, author, vagina activist and sexologist

 

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Short answer: When can you get pregnant?

You can only get pregnant during a limited period of your menstrual cycle – the so-called fertile window . The fertile window is typically:

• Approximately 5 days before ovulation (but it is individual, and the only way to know exactly when you ovulate is by tracking discharge, temperature and cervix)

• on the day of ovulation itself

• and up to 24 hours after

This means that you are only biologically fertile for about 6–7 days each cycle . And that's a maximum. But because sperm can survive for up to five days in the uterus , sex before ovulation can still lead to pregnancy.

However, both you and the person you are having sex with must have healthy fertility for the above to work, and few of us know how our fertility is unless we have been tested for infertility. So that's the belt and braces method.

👉 If you're also tired of the mess after sex, try panties with low absorption, it's better than toilet paper.

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Ovulation occurs before menstruation.

Biologically, the very first period – also called menarche – symbolizes that the body is now capable of becoming pregnant. And of course, that was the fear that struck me at the time. But it often takes a few cycles for the hormones and menstruation to find a stable pattern, but the point remains: the body has become sexually mature.

Therefore, it is not surprising that in many cultures menstruation symbolizes a transition from child to adult, a rite that is both exciting and perhaps also a little sad for adults around you, "you're getting so big".

Back home, it might sound a little crazy when adults tell children who have just had their first period to “be careful.” But in many parts of the world, the period between first menstruation and marriage and children is actually not far away. The connection between menstruation and fertility is therefore clear.

In reality, however, menstruation is only the visible sign that ovulation has already occurred . In order to get your period, you must first:

1. an egg ripens

2. ovulation occurs

3. and then the uterine lining is shed

If the egg is not fertilized, it dies and is "washed out" along with the uterine lining. This process is known as menstrual bleeding .

And don't worry: You can't get pregnant by sitting on a toilet seat . It's physically impossible. 110%.

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The fertile window determines when you can get pregnant.

Contrary to popular belief, getting pregnant is actually not always that easy. Once the egg is released during ovulation, it can only survive for about 12–24 hours .

If a sperm cell does not arrive during that period, the egg can no longer be fertilized. Exciting recent research also indicates that it is the egg that chooses which sperm cell it wants to be fertilized by - it is not "the strongest and fastest sperm cell" that wins the race, as we have been told.

Your egg decides - pretty cool.

Sperm, on the other hand, can survive in the uterus for up to five days . This is why we talk about the fertile window , which typically consists of:

• the five days before ovulation

• the day of ovulation itself

• and the day after

Overall, this means that the chance of pregnancy typically exists for about one week in each cycle .

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Can you get pregnant during menstruation?

Many people believe that menstruation is a “safe period” during which you can’t get pregnant. But that’s not how the body works. Your cycle isn’t an exact machine, and ovulation can shift from cycle to cycle .
What doesn't move is your period in relation to your ovulation, so it would actually be more correct to say "my ovulation is delayed" instead of "my period is delayed". But of course, that's what we're waiting for.

Your ovulation may be delayed by:

• stress

• disease

• changes in sleep

• or hard training

If you have unprotected sex at the end of your period, sperm can sometimes survive long enough to fertilize an egg if ovulation occurs early in the cycle.

Therefore, the answer is:

Yes – it is technically possible to get pregnant during menstruation , although the risk is typically lower.

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How do you know when you are fertile?

Many cycle tracking apps try to predict your ovulation based on past cycles. But in reality, they can't know exactly when you'll ovulate .

Understanding your fertility better typically requires you to track your cycle in real time and watch for signs like:

• changes in vaginal discharge

• basal body temperature

• hormone measurements

And if you don't want to get pregnant, contraception is still the safest option.

👉 You can read much more about how your discharge can guide you in the article here.

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In short,

Your period tells you that your body is fertile – but pregnancy can only happen during a short window in your cycle . Because cycles can vary, you can't always rely on calendar calculations alone.

Therefore, it is important to:

• understand your cycle

• track the body's signals

• and use contraception if you do not want pregnancy.

FAQ: Cycle and fertility

Can you get pregnant during menstruation?

Yes, it is technically possible, although the probability is often lower. If sperm survive in the body and ovulation occurs shortly after menstruation, pregnancy can still occur.

When are you most fertile?

You are most fertile in the days leading up to ovulation and on the day of ovulation itself.

How long can sperm survive?

Sperm can survive for up to five days in the uterus under the right conditions.

How long can an egg survive?

An egg can typically survive 12–24 hours after ovulation .

Note: In this article, I refer to menstrual bleeding in fertile cycles. The article does not take into account spotting and so-called anovulatory bleeding, which is the medical term for bleeding that occurs without prior ovulation.