How Soon After Sex Can I Get Pregnant?

Contrary to popular belief, pregnancy does not occur immediately after unprotected sex. There is a limited window in a woman’s cycle in which she can get pregnant.

To become pregnant, a woman must ovulate (i.e. release an egg from the ovary into the fallopian tubes) that can then be fertilized by a man’s sperm. An egg must be fertilized within 12-24 hours of being released or pregnancy does not occur. Sperm can reach the fertilized egg within 30 minutes of unprotected sex, but it can also live inside a woman anywhere from 3-5 days. This means that there is a 5-day window in every cycle that pregnancy can occur.

Once an egg has been fertilized, implantation into the uterus occurs, which then triggers the body to make hCG. This is the hormone that a pregnancy test detects. It is best to take a pregnancy test on or after the day of your missed period. If taken too early, you are more likely to get a false negative due to a minimal amount of hCG in your system.

The average cycle is said to be 28 days, but if your periods are irregular, it may be hard to tell when ovulation occurs. In a 28 day cycle, ovulation occurs two weeks after your last period, but can occur as early as 11 days or even later in irregular cycles. If you are irregular, it is best to wait 2 weeks after unprotected sex to get tested.

PSS can provide a pregnancy test free of charge. Reach out today to set up your first appointment!