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Ask Emma! Answers-Could I be pregnant? | |
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Any health information contained in this service is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Nothing contained should be used for medical diagnosis or treatment. If you have an urgent medical problem call 911 or contact your health care provider.
Generally, a pregnancy test is accurate 10 days after unprotected sex. The important thing is to make sure you read the directions on the package. The best time to take a test is in the morning, using the first urine catch of the day. Remember, choose a birth control method that works for you. Use a safer sex method every time, with every partner. And if your foreplay involves the penis near the vagina, put on a condom! Pre-ejaculate (the cum that often shows up during a man's arousal) contains a small amount of sperm - it may not be much, but only ONE sperm is needed to fertilize an egg and lead to pregnancy. Also, keep in mind, condoms and dental dams (used for oral sex) are the best way to prevent transmission of sexually transmitted infections. Safe sex is better sex!
Find more specific answers to your concerns below. Questions about pregnancy tests and testing
Does the level of concentration of urine affect
pregnancy test results? Pregnancy Symptoms
How
long after sex do you get morning sickness?
If a girl
urinates after sex, does that remove the sperm? Questions about pregnancy
Is a girl
less likely to get pregnant if they have sex 2-3 times a day? Could I be pregnant from..?
Can you get
pregnant if the guy pulls out before/without ejaculating? Pregnancy and Birth Control
Can I get pregnant if I missed taking some birth
control pills?
Questions about Pregnancy Tests and Testing
Yes, the more concentrated your urine is,
then the more accurate your pregnancy test results will be. This is why
we recommend that people take their pregnancy tests using urine from the
first time they pee in the morning. That sample is the most concentrated
sample of the day, and thus, that sample will give the most accurate
pregnancy test results.
There are several ways to get a pregnancy test without people knowing. One would be to visit a reproductive health center, like the Emma Goldman Clinic, or a local center. Here we can run pregnancy tests for free, and our tests, like all your medical records, are confidential. If you're afraid that someone will see you going into one of these clinics, you can just go to your regular doctor's office (then you could pass it off as getting some other kind of check-up. They will most likely charge you more for the test though. You may also try asking your school nurse. What school nurses can do depends on the school and state, but sometimes they can run the pregnancy test. Even if your school nurse can't run the pregnancy test, they should be able to give you information on safer sex practices and STIs. If you're afraid of someone seeing you purchasing the test at the store, you can order them from several different places on the internet. Most chain drugstores have websites where you can order items. You could also go to a store on the other side of town, or drive to the next town over to get your tests. Maybe a friend could go pick up the tests for you. Sometimes stores that you wouldn't expect will have pregnancy tests, for instance, I've heard several of our clients say that the dollar store pregnancy tests are very accurate. Maybe there's somewhere in town that has the tests where you will be less likely to run into anyone you know. I understand that you don't want very many people to know about this, but it's a good idea to tell at least a few people. Even if just one friend knows, they may be able to give you some emotional support, which it sounds like you could use. If nothing else, the guy involved should be a good person to talk to. At least he knows that you're sexually active already. Maybe it would work to get a drug store pregnancy test, then run it at a friend's, or your boyfriend's house. We've heard of teenagers, or other women concerned about confidentiality, taking the test in a public restroom. Then your parents wouldn't find the test in the garbage. It is important that you take the test sooner, rather than later. If you are pregnant, you need to know as soon as possible. Then you can start on pre-natal care if you choose to continue the pregnancy. If you do not want to continue the pregnancy, it is important to know about it as soon as possible, because then you will have the most options. The strongest pregnancy tests on the market right now take at least 7-10 days after the unprotected sex to detect a pregnancy. Make sure you read the instructions fully to see when your test will be accurate. Use urine from the first time you pee in the morning, as this is the most accurate sample to test from. If you go to a clinic or to a nurse to have them run the test, ask them about how long it has to be since the unprotected sex to be accurate.
At least in the state of Iowa, women don't have to get parental consent,
or have to notify their parents, to be on birth control, including
emergency contraception (EC). EC can prevent pregnancy if taken up to 5
days after unprotected sex, and
if you would like to learn more about EC
click here. You can also visit
www.not-2-late.com, where you
can find out where to get EC in your area. If you just want someone to
talk to about safer sex, pregnancy, STIs, or things like that you should
call your local reproductive health clinic. They often will have times
where you can walk-in without an appointment to talk to someone (or at
least we do at Emma). Your local reproductive health clinic is a good
place to get condoms too. Here at Emma we sell condoms 8 for $1! As well
as pregnancy, everyone who is sexually active NEEDS TO BE CONCERNED
ABOUT STIS! STIs are incredibly common, and some of them will be with
you for the rest of your life.
We aren't qualified
to offer professional counseling to your situation. We can recommend
that you contact a counseling service in your area, or talk more with
your boyfriend about how you two want to handle the situation and if you
. If you choose to continue with the pregnancy, it will become visible
to your mother eventually. It's probably best to be honest - you can
seek outside counseling to help figure out the best approach for you. If
you choose to have a child, it is important to consider how to plan for
all the challenges of the pregnancy and child-raising - this can help
you feel more prepared, not only if/when you tell your mom, but also for
yourself. Check in your area if you have any family planning centers
that can also help advise you.
"How often is a positive result on a pregnancy test incorrect?"
Each pregnancy test is different, so to find this out, you need to read
the package insert that came with your pregnancy test. On the whole,
pregnancy tests are very accurate (most are around 99% accurate if taken
correctly). Whenever you have a positive pregnancy test, you should go
see a health care provider, or your regular physician. They can confirm
that positive test. They can also go over your options regarding what to
do about the pregnancy, or if you want to continue the pregnancy, they
can help you start with pre-natal care.
"If my quantative hCG level is
83020, approximately how far along am I?" The quantative hCG test refers to a test that measures the amount of the hormone hCG (the human chorionic gondotropin, which is the hormone that makes a pregnancy test turn positive) in the blood of pregnant women. Many physicians use the hCG level to give a woman an estimate of how far along they are. We here at the Emma Goldman Clinic do not administer that test or use its results in that manner. The first reason is that, at best, they will only be able to give you a very large range of possibility for the length of pregnancy. Women are often told things like "you're somewhere between 6 and 12 weeks along" (HUGE difference). The second reason is that test is a very inaccurate way of estimating the length of a pregnancy. In the second trimester the level of the hCG hormone drops off dramatically. This causes women who are quite far along to have the same blood hCG levels as someone who is very early. A good example is a client that we had here recently who's doctor told her she was 4 weeks along based on a quantative hCG test. When we did an exam, she turned out in fact to be 22 weeks along (again, HUGE difference). This was because, since she was well into the second trimester, her hCG levels had dropped down significantly.
A much better way to
find out how far along you are is to get either an ultrasound or a
pelvic exam. The ultrasound will be the more accurate method, but those
can be VERY expensive. A pelvic exam is a little less accurate, but much
less expensive. You do have the option of contacting the person who ran
your hCG test and asking them to read the results for you. Just
remember, that they can be really far off.
"What is the purpose of an early pregnancy test? When can they be
used?" Well, the purpose of an early pregnancy test is those tests can tell a woman that she is pregnant a little sooner than other pregnancy tests on the market. All pregnancy tests that you purchase from stores test using the woman's urine. The tests are looking for the hormone hCG (the human chorionic gondotropin), which is a pregnancy hormone that is present in the woman's urine. This hormone doesn't appear instantly after conception; it takes several days to a week (depending on the type of test used) for a pregnancy test to be accurate. The "early pregnancy tests" are strong enough that even a small amount of hCG will cause the test to read positive. The other tests on the market are a little weaker, so that they need a larger amount of hCG (thus, the woman has to be a little farther along) to have a positive test.
To know when a test is accurate you need to read the box or the
instructions that come inside. If you have missed your period by at
least a couple of days, then pretty much any test you buy will work (but
read the instructions anyway). For the most accurate results, no matter
which test you choose, take the test using urine from the first time you
pee in the morning.
What probably happened is the clinic you went to used a different kind of pregnancy test than the one you used at home. Any pregnancy test that you buy at the store is what we call a "high sensitivity" test. That means that even a very small amount of pregnancy hormone will cause the test to read positive. Many of these tests will be accurate several days before you miss your period. Tests that many clinics carry are "low sensitivity" tests. That means that it takes a pretty significant amount of pregnancy hormone for the test to read positive. Those tests often require you to be at least a full week after your period was due before it will be accurate. It's quite possible that you have enough of the pregnancy hormone in your body for the home test to work, but you're still too early for the clinic test to work. Another factor could have been the time of the day that you had the test at the clinic run. Pregnancy tests are most accurate if you use urine from the first time you pee in the morning, since that sample is the most concentrated. If you took this test even a little later in the day, after you have had anything to drink, the urine would have been more diluted and thus not have had as much of the pregnancy hormone in it. That could have caused a false negative test. You should try
having the test run again, but this time use urine from the first time
you pee in the morning. Most clinics are able to send you home with a
cup to collect that sample in. You can also ask if the clinic has a
higher sensitivity test that you could use, or you can find a clinic
that carries that kind of test. If you get more negative results with
the stronger test and the first morning sample, then you should see your
doctor or health care provider.
(HCG stands for the human chorionic gondotropin, which is the hormone that pregnancy tests look for.) There's not really one pregnancy test that stands out among all the others. We've had many clients here say that the test they found at the dollar store told them about their pregnancy. The big thing is to make sure that you read all the instructions carefully to make sure that you're taking the right kind of test for your needs. I'm not sure which brand names advertise which abilities for pregnancy detection, and if I did, that could vary from country to country, or even state to state. If you haven't missed your period, you should get a test that is labeled as being able to give you results before you have missed your period. Even if your test's instructions say that you can take it at anytime of day, you will still get more accurate results if you take it using urine from the first time you pee in the morning. That sample is more concentrated, and thus will have more hCG in it (if you are pregnant). Even if you've only peed once so far that day, if you're taking it later on, your sample will be more diluted. Most pregnancy tests require that you be at least 7-10 days from when you think you became pregnant to be able to give you an accurate result. As for your question about how long it takes the body to build up hCG, that is going to vary completely from woman to woman and from pregnancy to pregnancy. Again, depending on your test, you need 7-10 days from when you became pregnant to build up enough hCG to get a positive result.
If you've missed your period or are having other pregnancy symptoms,
then yes, I would recommend that you continue taking tests each week. If
you feel more comfortable spending the money on name-brand pregnancy
tests than you are welcome to do that, but dollar store pregnancy tests
do the trick as well. Just make sure you read all the instructions for
whichever test you get. The other option would be to have your pregnancy
test run at a clinic or doctor's office. Then you can have someone to
talk to about your results, and they will be able to run the right kind
of test for you. (Plus, they're often free.)
There's nothing specifically about cola, juice, ice cream, and pickles that affects pregnancy tests. If there was, they would be specifically mentioned on the packaging for the test. We tell people to take their pregnancy tests to take them first thing in the morning, because the first urine sample of the day is the most concentrated. Using a concentrated sample gives the most accurate possible result.
By taking the test later in the day, after you have drank anything, your
urine may be more diluted, and you can get a false negative test. It
doesn't matter if you drank cola, pickle juice, or water, they all will
dilute your urine. Again, for accurate pregnancy test results, it's best
to wait until the next day, and then you can use the first morning urine
sample for the test.
Repeatedly on this website you have probably read us recommending to
women that they take their pregnancy test using urine from the first
time they pee in the morning. This is because that urine sample is very
concentrated since it's been in your body overnight. Therefore, it will
have the highest concentration of hCG, human chorionic gondotropin,
which is the hormone that pregnancy tests are looking for, and thus will
give you the most accurate results. When a woman will have enough hCG in
her body to have a pregnancy test be positive later in the day is
something that is going to change from woman to woman. Some women build
up hCG very quickly, so even before they miss their period they will get
a positive result late in the day. There are other women who, for a
variety of reasons, never build up hCG to a very high level, and never
have a positive pregnancy test their entire pregnancy. These are two
extremes, and most women fall somewhere in the middle. Just generally
take the tests first thing in the morning if you aren't sure whether or
not you are pregnant.
First of all, it takes a minimum of 10 days, but up to 3 weeks, after a probable conception for any test to turn positive. So if you have sex, then take a test, it won't tell you about that day, but if you were pregnant from a couple weeks (minimum) before. Second, while every test is different, and you should fully read the instructions for your individual pregnancy test, most tests are only valid for the few minutes after it is started. The ones we have aren't valid after 5 minutes after the urine is put on the test, but other tests could vary. So if the test was left over night, that would void the test.
If you think an act of sex you just finished may get you pregnant, you
can still use
Emergency Contraception (EC).
Try calling your gynecologist to see if they can get you a prescription.
You can also visit
www.not-2-late.com, and there
you can search by state to find the nearest provider. EC can be taken up
to 5 days after unprotected sex.
It's good that you read the instructions for your pregnancy test. Pregnancy tests are looking for the human chorionic gondotropin (hCG) hormone. It takes a little bit, 7 days to 3 weeks depending on the test, for hCG to build up enough for the test to recognize it and turn positive. If your test can be positive the "first day of a late period", that would mean that it can be positive at least 2 weeks after a probable conception. A lot of tests say they are accurate at a certain point relative to a missed period, since a lot of women aren't certain exactly when they conceived. They are really approximating a length of time since conception. If you go ahead and take the test, make sure to use urine from the first time you peed in the morning, as that's the most concentrated, and thus the most accurate to test from. If this is negative, take another test each week until you get a positive test, or get your period.
It is common to have all kinds of symptoms when going off hormonal birth
control. Do remember, that the day that you don't take birth control
anymore, you can become pregnant. Especially when you first get off
birth control, even if you end your pills at the end of your cycle, you
can ovulate at any time.
No, the strongest pregnancy tests on the market currently take a bare minimum of 7 days after the unprotected sex to detect a pregnancy, but for the most accurate test it usually takes at least 10-14 days. There are a lot of tests that won't work until after you have missed your period. Read the instructions on the package for your test to find out when that test will work. Or you can go to a doctor's office or clinic and have them run the test for you. Having your period, or any vaginal bleeding, doesn't affect pregnancy tests.
For the most accurate pregnancy test, you should use a urine sample from
the first time you pee in the morning. That urine is very concentrated,
so it is the best to test from. If you are wanting to get a test at a
doctor's office or a clinic they should be able to give you a urine cup
to take home with you, so you can use that sample.
Generally, you take a pregnancy test every week until you have your
period (one that is normal in length and flow), or you get a positive
test. You could also not take a test unless your period is late/missing
or unless you have pregnancy symptoms. For the most accurate test, use
urine from the first time you pee in the morning, since it is the most
concentrated. I don’t know what prices of things are like in California,
but here the dollar stores even carry pregnancy tests, and we’ve heard
from many clients that they are accurate. Many reproductive health
clinics will also have pregnancy tests at low cost, if not free. Try
calling around to see if you can get them cheaper that way. Best of
luck!
-Katie, California
Generally speaking, the only thing that will make a pregnancy test
positive is being pregnant (or having a pregnancy that recently ended).
Pregnancy tests are looking for a specific hormone in your urine (human
chorionic gondotropin, hCG), and once that hormone has built up enough
in your system, a pregnancy test will be positive. Having sex, being on
hormonal birth control, or anything else really, won't affect that
result. If you are wanting to continue the pregnancy, you should contact
a physician right away to start with pre-natal care. If you aren't sure
what to do there are some great resources around that may help you out.
One of them is
www.pregnancyoptions.info. They have
a really good workbook that helps women sort out their feelings about
the pregnancy. You can also visit backline at
www.yourbackline.org. They provide
pregnancy options discussion and information to women and their loved
ones. While both of these websites are pro-choice, they don't coerce
women to make a specific decision about their pregnancy. They present
all of the options in an open and honest way. You can also call
reproductive health care clinics in your area. Those clinics will often
offer options counseling as well. If you are considering abortion, those
clinics should be able to tell you about the procedures that are
available for you. If you like,
you can read about the way we do abortions here
at the Emma Goldman Clinic, but practices can vary slightly
from clinic to clinic.
Having your sample for this relatively short amount of time shouldn't affect the test. Sometimes women coming in to get pregnancy tests at our clinic will take home a sample cup so they can bring in their first-morning urine sample, even when their appointment isn't until later in the day. If you have to wait to take your test, it's a good idea to refrigerate the sample. This preserves it a little better, and then you don't have a cup of urine sitting on your bathroom counter. A
test that you take directly from your urine stream could be a better
option, so then you don't have to have a cup of urine sitting around.
However, and this is just totally based on what I am like in the
morning, just make sure you're going to be awake enough to take the test
correctly. If you have been having unprotected sex then you very easily could be pregnant. It is common to have some false-negative tests early on, if your body just hasn't built up the pregnancy hormones enough yet. The allergy shots won't affect your test results, but if you are planning on continuing the pregnancy, you should check with your physician to make sure that they won't cause any birth defects or problems. Some pregnancy tests need you to have missed your period by a week before they will be positive. Read the instructions from your test to find out when it will be accurate. Use urine from the first time you pee in the morning for the most accurate results.
Getting off the pill, especially if you quit it mid-cycle, does mess
with your period, and sometimes women have pregnancy symptoms when they
quit taking hormonal birth control. However, since you have been having
unprotected sex, an actual pregnancy is probably more likely. Keep
taking a pregnancy test every week until you have a positive test or
your period comes and the pregnancy symptoms go away. Remember that if
you do get a period, but it is lighter or shorter than your usual ones,
that is a pregnancy symptom. If you still are having negative tests, but
you miss a second period you should see your physician. If you have a
positive test, you should see a physician as well to go over your
options or to start pre-natal care. If you visit our
links page, it has references
to websites and organizations that provide pro-choice and non-judgmental
pregnancy options and counseling.
It is very important to read the instructions carefully before taking a pregnancy test. Each test works a little differently, and to get accurate results, you need to take the test correctly. We've heard from many clients that dollar store tests are accurate, but you have to make sure that you take the test correctly. Speaking generally about pregnancy tests (again this is general info, each pregnancy test varies): usually tests have a time limit that they will not be accurate after (often about 5 minutes). If a test doesn't give you a result in that amount of time, then that test is invalid, and you should take a different one. No amount of adding more urine will make an invalid test valid. Read your instructions to find the time of valid tests on the one you have. If your test tells you to use a certain amount of urine (like "3 drops" or something like holding it in your stream for X seconds) then that is the amount you should use. Adding more urine to the test can invalidate it or give you false results. Always make sure to use urine from the first time that you pee in the morning, since that will give you the most accurate results. If in doubt, you can also stop by your doctor's office, or a reproductive health clinic, and have them run a test for you. Having them run it will eliminate a lot of this guess work. I
also think you should see your physician about how you didn't have a
period for almost 3 months. Anytime that you miss a second period,
regardless of your pregnancy test results, you should see your
physician.
Pregnancy Symptoms "How long after sex do you get morning sickness?"
That is going to completely depend on the
individual woman and her individual pregnancy. Some women claim that
they had "morning sickness" the next morning after the unprotected sex
that made them pregnant. Others don't get it until about the time they
are missing their period, others get it a little later, while others
don't get "morning sickness" at all. For some women they will have one
pregnancy where they were constantly vomiting and nauseas, and then the
same woman may not have any nauseasness or vomiting at all. It changes a
lot.
Pregnancy symptoms vary widely from woman to woman, and even from pregnancy to pregnancy. Women who have had multiple pregnancies often have different symptoms each time. Symptoms include missed or funny periods, nauseasness, cramps, tiredness, breast swelling or tenderness, appetite changes, food cravings, and frequent urination, but there can also be others.
Some women claim that they were nauseas the next morning after the sex
act that began the pregnancy, while there are others who never have
noticeable pregnancy symptoms. It is completely different for different
women. If you suspect you are pregnant you should take a pregnancy test
right away. The sooner you know that you are pregnant, the more options
you have regarding your pregnancy, and if you choose to continue the
pregnancy, you can start pre-natal care sooner.
"I think I might
be pregnant, but I rarely show symptoms. My boyfriend is really
stressing me out when it comes to other issues. Could he be the cause of
my late period?" "What is the
difference between feeling pregnant, and the symptoms you get before
your period? How can you tell when the feelings are similar?" The best way to find out if you are pregnant is to take a pregnancy test. You can buy one at the store, and even the "dollar store" tests are accurate. You can also visit a women's health clinic, where sometimes tests are free. Make sure you read the instructions for the test you buy, to make sure that you are far along enough for it to work, and to make sure that you use it properly. Use urine from the first time you pee in the morning, since that sample will give you the most accurate possible result. It's much better to take a test, than to try to rely on pregnancy symptoms to tell you whether or not you are pregnant. Some women have a whole bunch of symptoms when they become pregnant, while others don't have any at all. Some women will have different symptoms for each pregnancy. Some symptoms commonly associated with pregnancy can also be caused by other things. For instance, you can be nauseous from having the flu, you can be dizzy from being dehydrated, and you can miss periods and be tired from stress. The big pregnancy symptom is missing a period, or having a period that's lighter or shorter than your usual periods. If you have this happen, you need to take a pregnancy test. Even if you think something else may be causing your period to be late (stress, for instance), you should still take the test. Either it will give you some information that you really need to know, or it will give you one less thing to be stressed about.
Some women also have sore/tender breasts right before they start their
period. The way to know that this is a sign that your period is coming,
vs. a pregnancy symptom, is if you period comes. If your period is
late/missing/funny you need to take a pregnancy test.
"I'm starting to have a sore back all the time,
and headaches, and I'm very moody. I'm 2 weeks late. Last time I had
intercourse was a month ago. Can these be signs of being pregnant??" "I'm on birth control, and my partner and I had sex and he wore a condom. I also didn't miss any pills that month, but I missed my period. Could I be pregnant?" "Hi. My
boyfriend and I started having sex on March 7th. I haven't gotten my
period for more than a month, because I got my period on March 31. I'm
worried. Can I be pregnant?" In all of these cases, I would definitely recommend a pregnancy test. Anytime your period is late or funny, a pregnancy test is a very good idea. Any woman (ANY
woman) who has sex with men has the possibility to become pregnant. The
only method of birth control that is 100% effective is complete
abstinence. Even when women take their pill perfectly they still
sometimes become pregnant. If your period is late, then it's been long
enough for a pregnancy test to be accurate. Make sure to use a urine
sample from the first time you pee in the morning for the most accurate
results. If this one is negative, and you don't get your period, try
again in another week. If you have a positive test you should contact
your physician or someone who can give you non-judgmental options
counseling (Backline has a toll-free number for options counseling,
click here to visit their website).
If you go through another cycle without getting your period, you should
see your physician and they can see what's wrong.
-Nikole, Florida Your first step, and this goes for anyone experiencing pregnancy symptoms, is to take a pregnancy test. Since you haven't missed your period yet, you will want to get a test that is labeled as being able to work before you miss your period. Make sure to read the instructions. Use urine from the first time you pee in the morning, since that will give you the most accurate results.
Bloating, sensitive breasts, changes in the way your uterus feels, and
constipation can all be pregnancy symptoms. They can also be other
things. Pain during sex can be a symptom of a sexually transmitted
infection (STI). Since pregnancy can be detected by a simple test, it is
easiest to do that first. No matter what the results of your test is,
you should see your physician to evaluate your symptoms, or if
necessary, start pre-natal care. If you aren't sure what you want to do
with a pregnancy you can visit
www.pregnancyoptions.info.
They have a workbook that has been very helpful to many women
experiencing an unplanned pregnancy. You can also visit
www.yourbackline.org.
Backline has a phone number you can call to talk over your options.
"I missed about 4 or 5 pills this last month, and I
do have unprotected sex frequently with my boyfriend. I had a period
this Monday and Tuesday and a little on Wednesday
(posted on a Thursday), but it was a brown color, and
not much at all. I took a pregnancy test two days before I started my
period, and it was negative. Should I consider this a normal period,
even though it's not normal for me?" When we, or other health care providers, talk about normal vs. abnormal periods, we are talking about what's normal for you, not if your periods are normal compared to anyone else's. So, if this period is not like your other periods, then you should not consider it normal. If you miss pills, and have unprotected sex, then it is highly likely that you could be pregnant. Generally, if you ever miss a pill, you should use condoms for the time you are catching up, and for a full week after you are all caught up. Condoms are a great idea anyway, just because then you have a safety net already in place.
Since you took the pregnancy test before you were due for your period,
it is possible that the pregnancy was too early to be detected yet. Try
again this week, and make sure you use urine from the first time you pee
in the morning, since that will give you the most accurate results. Make
sure you read the instructions on your pregnancy test, because some can
tell earlier than others. Take a pregnancy test each week until you get
a positive result, or until you get a normal period. If your next period
is still funny, or if it doesn't come at all, you should see your
physician no matter what your pregnancy test results are at that point.
Yes, you can be pregnant. Any woman who has sex with men can become pregnant, and it this woman has unprotected sex the likelihood is much higher. Take a pregnancy test right away. The ones they have at the drug store are very reliable, and (I don't know where you live) even the dollar stores here have those tests. You can also go to a reproductive health clinic, where the tests are commonly free. It's important to take a pregnancy test as soon as you suspect that you may be pregnant. If you are pregnant and want to continue the pregnancy you need pre-natal care in order for you and your child to be healthy. If you don't want to continue the pregnancy, or you aren't sure, it's important to find out your options right away. If you are interested in getting an abortion it is much safer, more inexpensive, and easier to have done the sooner you are in the pregnancy.
It's important to protect yourself against pregnancy, and against
sexually transmitted infections (STIs) as well. No one is immune to
STIs. Anyone who doesn't protect themselves can get a STI (or several),
no matter how old they are, what birth control they use, or how nice
their partner is.
Any woman who has sex with men can become pregnant. Especially since you went off your pill and have been having lots of unprotected sex, that would significantly up your odds. The first step is to take a pregnancy test. Anytime any woman suspects she may be pregnant, it's important to take a pregnancy test right away. Use urine from the first time you pee in the morning, as that's the most accurate sample to test from. Since you aren't due for your period for another week, you may not be far enough for the test to be accurate yet. If this first test is negative, take tests every week until you either get a positive test, or your period comes. The symptoms you listed can be pregnancy symptoms, but they can also be symptoms for other things like a illness or (I don’t know how old you are.) menopause. It's also common to have strange symptoms right after stopping the pill. While it's a good idea to take a pregnancy test whenever you symptoms, those symptoms aren't only specific to pregnancy.
Whenever a woman decides it's time to get pregnant, it's a good idea to
check in with your physician. They can give you referrals to places to
get pre-natal care, and they can give you info on pre-pregnancy
nutrition that will help you have the healthiest possible pregnancy and
child.
Any birth control method can fail, so any woman who has sex with men can potentially become pregnant. If she was taking the pill correctly, it is 99.7% effective at preventing pregnancy, so the odds are lower. For future reference, you should wear a condom every time that you have sex, whether or not she is on the pill. This will help calm your mind some, by further reducing the risk of pregnancy, and it will protect you from sexually transmitted infections (STIs). If she's had two normal periods since then, it is further unlikely that she is pregnant. While nausea are sometimes pregnancy symptoms, they are also symptoms of other things. In these summer months they can often be symptoms of dehydration and overheating.
If you are still concerned, my big advice would be for you to talk
through your worries with your girlfriend. Tell her how worried you are,
and that you just want to put your mind at ease. Try to make this
conversation as casual as possible. Tell her that you're concerned for
her, because if she is in deed pregnant, it is best to know about as
soon as possible. Maybe it would help if you went and purchased the
pregnancy test, rather than making her get it. That may show that you're
taking responsibility of the situation. You can't force her to take a
pregnancy test, but if you make it as easy as possible for her, she may
be more likely to do it. Good luck.
It is true that stress can delay a period. It is also very common for teenagers' periods to be funny. For most women their periods don't become regular until they are in their very late teens, if not in their twenties. It wouldn't be a horrible idea to take a pregnancy test anyway, just to put your mind at ease (or to give you some very important information). I'm a little concerned that you called it "what I would call a period". If your period was lighter or shorter, or at all abnormal, then you should definitely do that pregnancy test. An important thing to keep in mind, is that even if you start taking hormonal birth control, you should ALWAYS use condoms. The rates for sexually active young people acquiring STIs are ridiculously high. In 2000, people aged 15-24 accounted for 48% of new chlamydia cases, approximately 50% of new HIV cases, and 74% of new genital warts (human papillomavirus, HPV) cases. (To read all the stats, you can click here to read the full article from the Alan Guttmacher Institute.) Pregnancy is very serious, but some STIs will be with you for the rest of your life. As a general rule, if a guy isn't willing to wear a condom, he's not worth sleeping with. You deserve better than that. Emergency contraception (EC) is very effective at preventing pregnancy if you take it up to 5 days after unprotected sex. Click here to learn more about EC. You can also visit www.not-2-late.com, where you can find out where you can get EC in your area. Remember, that you have 5 days to prevent pregnancy, but you don't have 5 days to prevent you from getting a STI. I
also recommend finding someone you can talk to about your stress.
Sometimes you can talk to your school counselor, or sometimes your
school nurse (they might be a good person to talk to about sexual
questions). A lot of communities also have youth centers that will have
staff you can talk to. Even a trusted friend could help you talk out all
you're going through. Just make sure not to keep it all to yourself,
that will just make your stress levels worse.
"What are the other reasons except pregnancy for a girl
missing her periods?"
Non-pregnancy missed periods could be caused by some medications (most
common is Depo Provera), change in diet, stress, lots of exercise, or
menopause. Anytime your periods stop you should take a pregnancy test
and see your physician to double check that there's nothing wrong.
Psychosomatic (a condition with physical symptoms that comes from mental or emotional causes) pregnancies, especially to the level where the pregnancy hormone is produced (and thus a pregnancy test is positive) are INCREDIBLY rare. Generally the pregnancy hormone is only produced during pregnancy (or when something else is very wrong in your body). There are cases where women, either out of fear of being pregnant or a desire to be so, will attribute symptoms they are experiencing to pregnancy, when that's not the case. However, usually in these cases they will either get their period eventually and find that they aren't pregnant, they will have enough negative pregnancy tests to convince them otherwise, or a visit from their physician will tell them that they are not pregnant. Sometimes these are cases where women imagine pregnancy symptoms that aren't really there, or they will attribute symptoms of other conditions to pregnancy. (There are plenty of made-for-TV movie and soap opera plots of people who thought they were pregnant, but the nauseousness and missed periods ended up being caused by cancer or something else horrible.) If you ever have pregnancy symptoms (whether or not you think you may be imagining them), you should start by taking a pregnancy test. Make sure to use urine from the first time you pee in the morning, since that will give you the most accurate results.
If you miss two periods (or two periods in a row are lighter or shorter
than your usual periods) you should see your physician, whether or not
you have a positive pregnancy test.
Go see your physician immediately!! Frequent urination is a common
pregnancy symptom, but severe pain while peeing isn't. This could be a
symptom of a urinary tract infection, or a sexually transmitted
infection (STI). Your physician will be able to tell what the problem
is, and most likely they will prescribe something to take care of it. It
is important to go to a doctor for this, because if left untreated
urinary tract infections can cause kidney damage, and some STIs can
damage your reproductive organs.
If you like, you can read our article on
urinary tract infections. Keep it in mind, that while
websites like this one can provide very helpful information, nothing can
replace your physician. Go see them right away, and they can make sure
you're not in pain anymore.
"I've read that nasal congestion (stuffy nose) can be a symptom of pregnancy. Is that true?"
We've never heard of stuffy noses being a pregnancy symptom. The main
pregnancy symptoms are late/funny periods, nausea, breast
swelling/tenderness, appetite changes, frequent urination, and
tiredness. Some women have all of those, just some, none of those, or
sometimes some other ones. If you think you are pregnant, you should
take a pregnancy test.
If you have been having unprotected sex since getting off the pill, you
do have a significant chance that you are pregnant. Some women do have
increased gas during pregnancy, but some women also have gas when their
period is about to start, or just randomly. If you think you may be
pregnant, you should start by taking a pregnancy test.
"When do your areoles start to change
during pregnancy?" This can vary -
increased estrogen levels cause breast tissue to change. Some women have
different changes than others as far as when and what kind of changes (ie
darkness, size, or no change at all).
“What are the signs of an ectopic
pregnancy?” An ectopic pregnancy occurs when the fertilized egg implants itself somewhere other than inside the uterus. Usually it happens inside one of the Fallopian tubes, which connect the uterus and ovaries. Implantation can also take place in the cervix, ovary or abdomen.
While the signs may vary between women, there is usually pain in the
lower abdomen. If you have had a positive pregnancy test and are having
abdominal pain, cramping, or vaginal bleeding, it would be a good idea
to check for an ectopic pregnancy. An ultrasound must be performed to
know whether implantation has occurred outside the uterus.
Pregnancy Myths "Can you get pregnant from masturbation?" "Can masturbation cause women to not
have children?" Masturbating is generally a very safe practice with virtually no risk of STIs (sexually transmitted infections) or pregnancy. The only way you could get pregnant from masturbating, is if a woman masturbated with an item that had sperm on it, or if a heterosexual couple was masturbating together and sperm got near her vagina. The ways you could get STIs from masturbating is pretty similar: if you shared sex toys, or masturbated with items that someone else had used, or if a couple masturbated together, and sexual fluids were exchanged or their genitals touched. Otherwise, feel free to go knock your own socks off! Masturbation doesn't have any affect on
a woman's ability to become pregnant. Absolutely none.
Also, masturbation
will not cause you go to blind, grow hair on your palms, or make your
palms turn yellow.
That is NOT true. Unless you become pregnant, sex really doesn't affect
your period. It's very common for teenage women to have irregular
periods, and sometimes they don't settle down until you're into your
twenties, if then. It's up to you whether you want to take a pregnancy
test now, or wait another week, to see if this is just one of
those months where your period is a week late. The ones that you can get
at the drugstore are very accurate, or you can visit a doctor's office
or clinic. For the most accurate results, you should use urine from the
first time you pee in the morning. If you get your period, but it's
lighter or shorter than usual, you should consider that a pregnancy
symptom, and take a test then too.
For the sake of a healthy pregnancy/child, it is generally advised not to take any medication while pregnant, unless told otherwise by your physician. Women will often take at least some while pregnant. A common "for instance" would be a woman who missed a pill, then became pregnant, but then took the rest of that month of pills before she misses her period or starts to have pregnancy symptoms. Then these women go on to have a healthy pregnancy, and perfectly healthy child. However, if a woman continues to take birth control further into pregnancy a potential for birth defects can arise. There used to be kind of an urban legend, that if a pregnant woman (positive pregnancy test, knows she is pregnant) takes a whole bunch of birth control pills at once, it will induce a miscarriage. THIS IS NOT TRUE. Taking a bunch of birth control pills won't make you miscarry, it will just make you very sick. It will not end the pregnancy, but it does raise the possibility of birth defects. If you aren't already pregnant, but are within 5 days of unprotected sex, you can take emergency contraception to prevent a pregnancy. This is not an abortion. This does not end a pregnancy. This prevents a pregnancy from happening in the first place. Emergency contraception (EC) contains a high dose of the same hormones in birth control pills. If you want to learn more about EC click here. If a pregnant woman (positive pregnancy test, knows she is pregnant) takes EC it will do nothing.
If you ever "THINK" you are pregnant you should contact a physician
right away. If you don't feel comfortable with your own physician you
can visit your local reproductive health clinic (like the Emma Goldman
Clinic if you are in town), or sometimes hospitals will have an
"ask-a-nurse" line that can do physician referrals. If you are planning
on continuing the pregnancy, it is important to start getting pre-natal
care right away, so you can have the healthiest possible pregnancy. If
you don't want to continue the pregnancy, or if you aren't sure, it is
important to learn about your options early.
If you are pregnant and want some more
information, click here. We have links to several other websites with
very good information about pregnancy options.
"If you are on
your period and you have sex, can you still get pregnant?" "Hey, I had sex the day after the last day of my period. He came, and we did not use protection of any kind. I didn't think I could get pregnant, but I read that sperm can live in the body for up to 7 days. What do you think?" Yes, it's true, sperm can live in the body for a week. This is one of the many reasons, that relying solely on "time of the month" is not a reliable method of birth control. The idea that a woman ovulates 2 weeks after her period starts is based on an assumption that women always have have 28 days between periods. If your cycle is not 28 days, the 2 week mark doesn't apply to you. Even if you usually have periods that you can set your watch by, any number of things like stress, diet, exercise, and medications can throw off your cycle and make you ovulate at a different time that month. Women who don't have regular periods often ovulate at different times every month. If this happened to be one of those wacky months, or if your cycles are shorter than 28 days, and you ovulated early, and the sperm survived the week, then it's possible to become pregnant. Whenever you aren't sure whether or not you may be pregnant, the first step is to take a pregnancy test. Drug store tests are very accurate, as well as the ones many clinics give out for free. Especially if you have already finished your period, the pregnancy tests should be accurate and can help put your mind at ease (or give you some very important information). Having a period that's normal in length and flow is usually a good indicator that you are not pregnant, but again, if you are ever questioning, it's not a bad idea to take a pregnancy test. No matter what you plan to decide about a pregnancy, it is best if you know as soon as possible. Make sure you always use protection, unless you want to become pregnant. If this unprotected sex happened within the last few days, you still have another chance to prevent a pregnancy from happening. Emergency Contraception (EC) is best taken as soon as possible, but up to 5 days, after unprotected sex, and it prevents a pregnancy from happening. It is not the same as the abortion pill, it prevents pregnancy. If you would like to read more about EC you can read our info on it. Right now EC is only available by prescription, so your best bet is probably to call up your gynecologist as soon as possible. You can also visit the website www.not-2-late.com. Go to their "getting EC in the US and Canada" link, and you can search for ways to get EC anywhere in the US/Canada. Also, it's
important to use protection (read: condoms) to prevent sexually
transmitted infections (STIs). Just because two people are HIV negative,
doesn't mean they are negative for chlamydia, gonorrhea, HPV (the virus
that causes genital warts), herpes, trichomoniasis ("trich"), hepatitis,
and crabs. Chlamydia, gonorrhea, trich, and crabs can all be cured, but
the rest of them can stay in your body for a lifetime.
"I was wondering, if I was pregnant, would using tampons hurt anything or affect the pregnancy?”
Using tampons will have no affect whatsoever on a pregnancy. You should
watch how much you are bleeding throughout the pregnancy. If it
continues, or if it becomes heavy, you should contact your physician
right away. On the whole, inserting things into your vagina (i.e.
tampons, penis, fingers) will not disrupt a pregnancy. The only things
inserted vaginally that will disrupt the pregnancy are instruments that
a doctor will place in your uterus to perform an abortion.
That is not true at all. The size of the penis has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with his ability to get a woman pregnant. The size of a man's penis has nothing to do with how much sperm he produces and his ability to deliver that sperm to the woman's reproductive organs.
If a guy used that line on you within the last 5 days, you can still use
emergency contraception (EC) to prevent pregnancy. If you live in the
Iowa City area, you can come here to the Emma Goldman Clinic to get EC,
or you can visit
www.not-2-late.com to find
out where you can get EC in your area.
"My boyfriend and I
had unprotected sex. He came inside me, but I was on top. Could I get
pregnant?" Sexual position is one of the many things that has absolutely no affect on your ability to get pregnant. Sperm can swim up, down, sideways, and really in any direction to find your egg. We tell our clients that to be on the safe side, if they don't want to get pregnant they need to make sure no sperm gets in between their shoulders and their knees. It doesn't matter where your knees are in relation to your shoulders at the time. If this sex has happened within the last 5 days, you can still use emergency contraception (EC) to prevent pregnancy. To find out where you can get EC in your area, visit www.not-2-late.com.
Remember that as well as pregnancy, by having unprotected sex you are
opening yourself up to all kinds of sexually transmitted infections
(STIs). According to the Alan Guttmacher Institute (a respected source
for sexuality information and statistics), STIs are among the most
common infections in the United States, and young people acquire almost
one-half of all new STIs reported. While it may be hard or embarrassing
to talk to your boyfriend about condoms, it would be way worse to have
to tell all your future boyfriends that you have or have had an STI. You
need to use condoms EVERY time that you have sex.
"When is the best time
to have sex so you don't, or at least are less likely to, get pregnant?" The best time would be anytime that he is wearing a condom. Or a time when you are using another kind of birth control (but no matter what he needs to have a condom on to prevent you from getting STIs). There is the theory that you can count a couple weeks from when your period started, and theoretically, that's when you will be ovulating. However, (big however) there are several problems with that theory. First, sperm can live inside your body for up to a week. If you have sex within a week of when you ovulate, you can get pregnant, so this means being completely abstinent for a good portion of each month. Plus, stress, change in diet or exercise patterns, medications, or anything really can cause you to ovulate at a different time. Also, two weeks out only works for women who have periods that are 28 days apart. If your periods are different than that, then that theory doesn't work for you at all. If you really don't want to use formal birth control, you can try using what's called "fertility awareness" or the sympto-thermal method of birth control to try to prevent pregnancy. However, it is a bit of a detailed process. It involves taking your temperature first thing every morning (before even sitting up) to find your "basal body temperature" (BBT). By tracking how this changes over the course of the month, you can see when you ovulated. To make this method more effective, you also need to monitor the mucus being produced by your cervix. This mucus changes over the course of the month, giving you really good indicators of when you have ovulated. This involves sticking your finger in your vagina and checking the mucus every day. By taking all these symptoms into account, this gives you a much more accurate picture of when you are fertile/safe then just counting out days. If you are interested in this method, there is a lot of literature out on it. We publish a booklet here on how to use this method (It's currently getting revised for the third edition, which we expect to be available by the end of the year. Keep checking back here for when it's available.) Even when you get the hang of the fertility awareness method, and can pin down when you ovulate, you still need to be completely abstinent for considerable portions of your cycle, or use condoms or other methods for those times.
In the meantime, until you are ready to check your temperature and
cervical mucus daily, you need to stick to condoms and other birth
control methods.
The gender of the child is determined by
chromosomes, not sexual position. Whether a baby is a boy or a girl is
determined by whether the sperm that fertilizes your egg carries an "X"
chromosome (girl) or a "Y" chromosome (boy). There's no sexual position
that makes the X's or the Y's swim faster or anything.
"Do
girls become pregnant if the penis is inserted through the backside
hole?" The anus, which is the hole towards a woman's backside where feces (poop) comes out, is completely separate from her vagina, inside and out. If sperm gets into her anus, it will not make her pregnant. However, do be very conscious of what is going on. If sperm was to flow back out of the anus, it could then feasibly then flow to her vagina and make her pregnant. Just for that reason alone, you should use condoms every time you have sex to make sure that the sperm stays in a contained area. YOU CAN BOTH GET HIV OR OTHER SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED INFECTIONS FROM ANAL SEX!!!! It is vitally important that you use a condom and lots of lubricant anytime you do anal sex. The tissues in the rectum (the area inside of the anus) are very delicate, way more delicate than vaginal tissue. It is very easy for this tissue to tear during sex. This can cause serious problems for her. This potential for tears in the tissue raises the risk of sexually transmitted infections. Make sure to go very slowly, use lots of lubricant, and stop if she feels any discomfort.
If you have more questions about sex
(oral, anal, or vaginal), HIV, STIs, or pregnancy, you should speak with
your health care provider and they will be able to give you more
information.
Any time you have unprotected sex you
have a chance of getting pregnant, tampon or not. Because we do not
know your body's fertility, we cannot tell you how much of a chance at
getting pregnant you have (no one can). Even if you had a tampon in,
sperm are very, very tiny, and any gap would allow the sperm to move to
your cervix. Another concern would be wearing a tampon when you aren't
actually bleeding--this increases your risk of toxic shock syndrome (TSS).
If you are having such a large amount of discharge you should check in
with your gynecologist to make sure nothing is wrong. In the meantime,
it's healthier to wear a pantyliner or maxipad--NOT a tampon!
Questions about Pregnancy Sperm can live in the vagina for up to one week. That doesn't matter if we're talking about sperm from the first time you ejaculated that day, or the third. Sperm can live in the vagina for up to one week. The one thing that does matter about ejaculating several times a day, is that your sperm count the second or third time you ejaculate may not be as high as the first time that you do. However, since you are ejaculating two to three times inside of your girlfriend, there should be PLENTY of sperm inside of her vagina to get her pregnant. Remember, it only takes one sperm to get a girl pregnant. Even the third time you ejaculate in a day can have hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of sperm. Your girlfriend should be monitoring her body. If she misses a period, or her period is lighter or shorter than usual, or if she starts having any pregnancy symptoms, such as nausea/vomiting, then she should take a pregnancy test. Always take pregnancy tests using urine from the first time she uses the bathroom in the morning, since that sample will give her the most accurate results.
If you are hoping that she isn't pregnant,
a good solution in the future would be for the two of you to choose a
reliable birth control method. Remember that birth control is both
partners' responsibility, not just the girl's. The best way to keep
sperm from getting into a woman's vagina, and thus getting her pregnant,
is to use a condom each time you have sex.
Well, first things first. If you think you are pregnant, then start by taking a test. The tests that you buy at the drugstore are very accurate, or you can visit a health clinic to have one run. If you are pregnant, then you should speak with your health care provider. They can tell you about the possible affects of the drinking and the ecstasy. If you have taken any Tylenol or any other over-the-counter medications, you should mention those as well. Even things you can buy without a prescription can cause problems during pregnancy. There's a whole other thing to address here. That is that any "friend" who will give you drugs (any kind, even legal ones) without telling you first is a very dangerous "friend" to have. This goes no matter when it happens, and whether or not you may happen to be |
