Hi Rose,

Thanks for writing to us! I will try to give you the answer you are looking for.

You are wondering if you can get pregnant after a sexual activity with your boyfriend while you were on your period. I’m not sure if you refer to your vagina being wet or his penis. I’m not sure if you meant that he did or not ejaculate near your vagina, but you mentioned he did not penetrate your vagina. You are nervous because he also fingered you before. I understand that you are nervous about this situation and that you want to know if it is possible that you could get pregnant that way.

I hope I can reassure you by saying that if you were still on your period and that you boyfriend did not penetrate you, there is a very low chance of getting pregnant. As long as your boyfriend did not ejaculate inside or on your vagina, it is very nearly impossible for you to get pregnant. If there was no semen on his hands when he fingered you, it is impossible to get pregnant by fingering. Here is a detailed answer given by Claude that could help answer your question if you read French. Here is also one in English given by my colleague Émilie.

To get pregnant, there are some conditions that need to be fulfilled. I don’t know if you are familiar with the menstrual cycle, but here is a web page that explains it. The important thing to remember is that there are only occasional moments when you can get pregnant. This web page has a graphic showing you when are your most fertile days and how to track your ovulation.

You mentioned you were on the last days of your period. While it is not impossible that your fertile days overlap the end of your period depending on your cycle, it is not common. Therefore, the chances are low but not impossible.

Furthermore, to get pregnant, the sperm needs to get to the egg. Here is explanation from the University of California San Francisco. The sperm needs to enter the vaginal canal and reach the egg in the fallopian tubes. If your boyfriend ejaculated on your vulva or near it, even if there was no penetration, the sperm could have access to your vaginal canal. In this case, there is a small chance that you might get pregnant. Considering that you were on your period that chance is very small, but not impossible. If your boyfriend did not ejaculate near your vulva, the sperm does not have access to your vaginal canal, and you cannot get pregnant.

Thus, even though the chances are low, they are still there. However, like my colleague AJ said: “Any possibility of pregnancy should be taken seriously. If [you] are concerned about the possibility of pregnancy, consider taking a pregnancy test or consult a healthcare professional for advice on emergency contraception or other options. Remember that open communication with your partner is crucial when it comes to sexual health and decisions regarding contraception.”

If pregnancy is not part of your plans for the near future and you plan on having other sexual activities, you might want to consider using a condom and/or some other type of birth control. It will protect you from unwanted pregnancies and from STBBI (sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections).

Don’t hesitate to write us if you have any other questions,

Gab (they/them), sexology intern for AlterHéros