Hey Low,

Thanks for sending this in. So you’re wondering if the semen that made contact with your hand could cause pregnancy. Based on the limited information you’ve provided, the immediate answer to this would be: No, semen cannot travel through the skin of your hand to cause pregnancy.

This scenario has a small possibility for pregnancy though, so I’ll just describe what a successful sperm journey would look like.

In order to cause pregnancy, sperm must first find its way into the vagina. Once there, it must be able to travel up through the cervix, into the uterus, and then head towards the fallopian tubes. Semen is the fluid that carries the sperm and allows it to swim to its destination. If semen has had no way of making contact with the vaginal opening or vulva area, you’re safe from pregnancy. If, however, you accidentally transferred some of the semen somewhere before you washed it off, then pregnancy is less impossible.

In your case, the chances of pregnancy is practically zero because you washed your hand immediately. If you are still worried about it, taking a pregnancy test or speaking to a healthcare provider could reassure you.

Pregnancy scares, and many other harmful consequences, are common for those who are sexually active. There are many risks that we can avoid by learning about safer sex and talking about safe sex with our partners. You can start with checking out our Introduction to Safer Sex, as well as other responses in our pregnancy, reproductive health and virginity category.

Doing anything is much more fun when we know we’re safe doing it! Although you sent this some time ago, I encourage you to still try to learn more about how you can make your sexual experiences better for yourself and your partners.

I hope this was helpful,

Zed from AlterHéros