Can you get pregnant on your period?

Pregnancy is most likely around ovulation, when an ovary releases an egg. In many cycles that happens roughly two weeks before the next period, which is why sex during a period is lower risk. But sperm can survive in the reproductive tract for several days, so they may still be there when an egg is released.

If someone has a short cycle, or ovulates earlier than usual, the fertile window can begin soon after a period ends. Sex near the end of a period then carries a real chance of pregnancy.

Some bleeding is easy to mistake for a period, such as spotting around ovulation or breakthrough bleeding while using hormonal contraception. Cycles also vary from month to month, especially in the teenage years, after pregnancy and around perimenopause, which makes it hard to know which days are truly lower risk.

Using contraception every time is far more reliable than timing sex around a period. Fertility awareness methods can work for some people, but they need careful daily tracking and training to be effective.

If you had sex without contraception and do not want to be pregnant, emergency contraception works best the sooner it is used. If a period is late, a pregnancy test is the way to find out. Condoms also protect against STIs, which can be passed on at any point in the cycle.