Are you more fertile during your period

Most likely you will not get pregnant having sex while on your period. That’s because your ovulation time is several days away decreasing any chances of getting pregnant during this time. However, there are exceptions. This applies to women who have a typical 28 to 30 day or longer cycle. If you have a shorter cycle, say every 21 to 24 days, that means you are ovulating earlier in the cycle. Because sperm can live inside you for up to 5 days, you could have sex towards the end of your period and then conceive 4 or 5 days later with your early ovulation.

The probabilities of getting pregnant during your period are low, but the possibilities are there. This is not the time to have sex if you are trying to get pregnant.

Can You Get Pregnant Right After Your Period?

You are moving into your fertility window, so yes, you can get pregnant right after your period. On a typical cycle that occurs every 28 to 30 days, the fertility window is usually between Day 11 and Day 21.  Remember, sperm can live up to 5 days. If your period (bleeding time) lasts for 5 to 7 days, and you have sex right after that, you are approaching your fertility window.

Can You Get Pregnant on the Last Day of Your Period?

If you stop bleeding on Day 6, have sex on Day 7 and ovulate on Day 11, it’s possible the sperm from Day 6 will be waiting in your fallopian tubes for conception. Your chances of conceiving right after your period increase each day after your bleeding has stopped. If you are trying to conceive this is a good time to have sex. Increase your chances of conception by having sex every other day for the next 14 days.

What About Right Before Your Period?

The likelihood of getting pregnant right before your period is extremely low. For women with a typical 28- to 30-day cycle or longer and their cycles are regular, it is fairly safe to say your ovulation occurred between Day 11 and Day 21. The egg is only available for 12 to 24 hours for conception.

This means the days right before your period are the safest to have sex without the expectation of getting pregnant. The number of “safe days” right before your period go up with longer cycles and lessen with shorter cycles.

If you wait 36 to 48 hours after ovulation, you should be beyond the possibilities of conception. The further you are from ovulation, the less likely your chance for conceiving. This is not the time to have sex if you are trying to conceive.  It’s still a good time to enjoy intimacy with your partner.

Bottom Line

A woman’s ovulation cycles can vary, so it’s statistically possible you could become pregnant while on your period. While pregnancy is less likely in the earlier days of your period, the chances increase in the later days.

If you’re trying to become pregnant and haven’t conceived after a year or more of having unprotected sex, download our new e-book The Ultimate Fertility Resource Guide. It’s a free download and has the essential information and tips you need to improve your fertility and get pregnant faster.

Think you don't need to use protection if you have sex on your period? As it turns out, that's not entirely true. "It's technically possible to get pregnant while on your period, but it's rare for this to happen," says Barbara Stegmann, M.D., a triple board-certified OB-GYN and women's health clinical lead at Organon. Keep reading to learn why it's possible to conceive by having sex during menstruation.

Understanding Your Menstrual Cycle

For starters, it helps understand your menstrual cycle. "A period is defined as the blood loss that happens at the end of an ovulatory cycle, as the result of an egg not being fertilized by a sperm," explains Michele Hakakha, M.D., a board-certified obstetrician and gynecologist based in Los Angeles and co-author of Expecting 411: Clear Answers and Smart Advice for Your Pregnancy.

"Every month, a woman releases an egg on approximately day 14 of her cycle," says Dr. Hakakha—though ovulation date varies for everyone, and it's also possible to have irregular cycles. "Prior to the release of the egg, the hormones in a woman's body increase to prepare (and thicken) the lining of the uterus in case the egg is fertilized and a pregnancy occurs. If there is no fertilization, the lining of the uterus is sloughed off about 14 days later. This is called your period." Most people have periods that last from two days to eight days and take place every 26 to 34 days.

Your Chances of Getting Pregnant Every Day of the Month

Ovulation typically occurs midway through the cycle, and it's the most fertile time in your menstrual cycle—meaning when you're most likely to conceive. Because sperm can survive for several days in the reproductive tract, a woman can get pregnant by having sex during ovulation or the days leading up to it.

Can You Get Pregnant During Your Period?

Most people have menstrual cycles that last 26 to 34 days, and if someone with this cycle has an average two- to eight-day period, they will probably not get pregnant during their period. An egg that is released during ovulation but remains unfertilized "comes out with all of the menstrual blood," Dr. Hakakha explains.

That said, the chance of pregnancy on your period increases if you have an irregular cycle. "A woman with a shorter menstrual cycle (24 days, for example), could have seven days of bleeding, have intercourse on her final day of bleeding, and ovulate three days later," Dr. Hakakha says. "Since sperm live for three to five days, she could definitely get pregnant" if it fertilizes a released egg, which has a lifespan of about 24 hours.

Finding Your Most Fertile Days: A 3-Step Guide

In addition, some women experience breakthrough spotting or bleeding between periods. This can occur during ovulation and be mistaken for a period, making it difficult to establish the exact place in the menstrual cycle. Having sex during ovulation increases your chances of getting pregnant.

The Bottom Line

"Unprotected intercourse can result in pregnancy if the sperm and egg can get together and you are off in your timing estimates," says Lauren Sundheimer, M.D., MS, FACOG, an OB-GYN practicing in Orange County, California. "If you are able to track your fertile window, then having intercourse outside of when you are considered fertile or when you are nearing ovulation might be safe, but there is never a guarantee that you will not get pregnant."