Can you get pregnant from pre-cum?

What is pre-cum?

Pre-cum is a small amount of fluid that is sometimes produced from the tip of the penis during sexual arousal. It is thought to play a role in lubrication during sex. This can happen any time during intimacy, and it’s involuntary — meaning you can’t control it, and you or your partner may not even feel it happening. 

Pre-cum is different from premature ejaculation, as premature ejaculation refers to the early release of semen, i.e., reaching sexual climax earlier than expected. Pre-cum can happen before ejaculation, but it doesn’t guarantee ejaculation is going to happen, either. Everyone’s body is different, and some people produce more pre-cum than others.

Are there sperm cells in pre-cum?

There can be. Pre-cum tends to have a much smaller number of sperm cells or semen (compared to ejaculate), and a lot of pre-cum contains no sperm cells at all. One study of 27 males (producing a total of 40 samples of pre-ejaculate) found that 41% of the individuals produced pre-ejaculate samples containing sperm cells. 

Another study of 42 men found that only 17% of participants produced samples containing healthy sperm cells. Keep in mind that both of these studies are limited, and more research is needed in this area. 

Unfortunately, without individual analysis, there is no way to know whether there are sperm cells present in an individual’s pre-ejaculate, so if you want to avoid pregnancy, it’s best to assume you can get pregnant from pre-cum and use a form of birth control to ensure you’re protected. 

Chances of getting pregnant from pre-cum

Since pre-cum contains a reduced number of healthy sperm cells, it’s logical to think it’s less likely to get pregnant from pre-cum than from climax ejaculation. However, it only takes one sperm cell to fertilize an egg cell, so it’s still possible to get pregnant from pre-cum. 

We’ve talked a lot about sperm cells, but what about female fertility? To get pregnant from pre-cum you also need to be fertile at the time. There are only six days in the menstrual cycle when you can get pregnant. This includes the day of ovulation and the five days before it, during which sperm cells can survive in the female reproductive system. 

If you know your fertile window and have had sex outside of it, then your chances of getting pregnant from any kind of intercourse (pre-cum or no pre-cum) are extremely low. 

Can you get pregnant without penetration?

It’s possible to get pregnant without having direct penis-in-vagina penetrative sex, but only if sperm cells get inside the vagina in another way. For example, you get pre-cum or ejaculate on your hands and then put your fingers in your vagina. For this reason, it’s a good idea to wash your hands, toys, or anything else you put in the vagina if it gets any kind of ejaculate on it.

Can I get pregnant using the pull out method?

Yes. It’s possible to get pregnant by using the pull out method in several ways. This method relies on a person removing their penis before ejaculation. With perfect use, the pull out method is 96% effective. Perfect use involves removing the penis before ejaculation happens, but because of the presence of pre-cum, pregnancy is still possible.

With typical use, the pull out method is only 80% percent effective — this number reflects how people tend to use the method and accounts for human error, including not pulling out in time. On average, out of 100 women using the pull out method to prevent pregnancy, over the course of a year, 20 women will become pregnant. 

Is the pull out method effective for preventing pregnancy?

Compared to other methods, withdrawal or the pull out method is not very effective. Methods like the IUD are more than 99% effective, even with typical use (since they require little work from those using them). 

While the odds may look good for using the pull out method perfectly, remember this is not always easy to do, and people make mistakes. Of course, there are advantages to the pull out method, such as it being free and readily available — and arguably, using the pull out method is better than using no birth control at all. However, we don’t recommend using the pull out method as birth control if you actively want to avoid pregnancy, as there are many more effective methods.

Natural Cycles birth control is 93% effective with typical use and 98% effective with perfect use. To use this method perfectly, all you need to do is not have unprotected sex on a Red Day (when the algorithm calculates you may be fertile). Keep in mind that unprotected sex includes using the pull-out method, and we recommend using condoms or abstaining from sex during the fertile window.

How long does sperm survive?

Sperm can live in the female reproductive system for six days (the day of ovulation and five days prior). Outside the body, sperm cells cannot survive for very long and will start to die off after a couple of minutes, unless they are kept in the right conditions. Sperm does not survive long in water, so it’s not possible to get pregnant in a swimming pool or a jacuzzi if someone has ejaculated into it.

When to take a home pregnancy test

If you think you might be pregnant, the best time to take an at-home pregnancy test is the first day of your missed period. Some tests may be sensitive enough to give a positive before this, but hormone levels are often too low at this point to show up on a regular test, and you may get a negative result. 

If you test negative and still think you may be pregnant, wait a few days and take another test. If you continue to test negative and your period does not arrive, talk to your doctor to rule out pregnancy. 

Keep in mind that while false negative pregnancy tests are pretty common (for example, if you test too early or if your urine is very dilute), false positive tests are very rare. If you get a positive pregnancy test, you are most likely pregnant. 

Options for emergency contraception

If you’ve recently had unprotected sex and are worried about pregnancy, the good news is you’ve got options. There are two main types of emergency birth control available, these are:

The morning-after pill

This is a single-dose contraceptive pill that you can get over the counter, order online, at a sexual health clinic, or prescribed by a doctor. The two main brands of morning-after pills in the US are Plan B and Ella. You can take a morning-after pill up to five days after unprotected sex, but the sooner you take it, the more likely it is to be effective. 

The copper IUD

You can also choose to have a copper IUD fitted up to five days after unprotected sex. This needs to be done by a healthcare professional, but once fitted, you are protected against pregnancy for up to twelve years! This non-hormonal option is the most effective form of emergency contraception available. The good news is it’s just as effective if you have it fitted one day or five days after unprotected sex. However, the IUD comes with its own side effects, such as heavier periods and increased menstrual cramps.

Should I take Plan B?

If you’ve recently had unprotected sex and are worried about pregnancy, then it’s a good idea to consider emergency birth control. Keep in mind that if you plan to use an over-the-counter emergency method, like Plan B, the longer you wait, the less effective it may become. Plan B is most effective when taken within three days of unprotected sex. If it’s been longer than this, you may want to consider using Ella (which requires a prescription) or, alternatively, the copper IUD. 

The great thing about opting for a copper IUD is that you’ll also be protected in the future. However, it’s not always easy to access this type of healthcare at short notice, and many people may find it more convenient to take Plan B as it is the easiest option to get hold of. 

When to see a doctor

Unfortunately, if more than five days have passed and you think you may be pregnant, you will have to wait until you have a positive pregnancy test to confirm if this is the case. If you test positive, then you still have a choice about what to do next, but it’s time to talk to a healthcare professional.

If you decide you don’t want to continue the pregnancy, it’s important to check your country or state’s guidelines around termination. Depending on where you live, you may be able to access abortion care up to a certain number of weeks into a pregnancy. If you’re in the United States, you can find information about abortion providers via Planned Parenthood. Again, it depends on where you live and how far into the pregnancy you are, but for many people, termination is a relatively quick procedure and one you can do at home with medication.

If you do want to continue the pregnancy, you still need to visit the doctor to confirm the pregnancy with a scan and further tests. The doctor will also be able to advise you at this point, depending on your personal circumstances and medical history.

Whatever your situation, remember that there’s no right or wrong way to feel. You don’t need to go through this alone, and you may find it helpful to talk to your partner, family, or friends to get support. You can also consider talking to a counselor. Therapy is confidential, and a certified professional can offer an impartial perspective that you may find helpful.

Prevent pregnancy hormone-free

Everyone is different, and that’s why it’s important to have a range of different birth control options available. Natural Cycles is the first and only FDA Cleared birth control app, it’s non-hormonal and non-invasive, making it a great option for those who don’t want to use hormonal birth control options. As a certified contraception, Natural Cycles is also now covered by insurance in the US. 

Based on the science of body temperature, Natural Cycles identifies your fertile window so you know when in the cycle you’re at risk of pregnancy. When you’re fertile, you can either abstain from sex or use a condom to prevent pregnancy. 

While we do not recommend the use of Natural Cycles with the pull out method on fertile days, the good news is that once you know the days you’re not fertile, you don’t have to use a condom or worry about pulling out. Why not find out if the world’s first birth control app could work for you today?