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What are the Chances of a Woman getting Pregnant During Menstruation?

Is it possbile for a Women to Get Pregnant During Menstruation?


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Apparently, a woman can still get pregnant when she engages in sexual intercourse during her menstrual period. A recent study by the US NIH (National Health Institute) has shown that the chances for a woman to become pregnant anytime during her cycle are equal. It is true that there are days when there is greater potential for conception, but it is not entirely absent.

The rhythm method is usually effective to couples attempting to conceive but is often unsuccessful in preventing it. According to Dr. Allen J. Wilcox of the NIH, the rhythm method is not an effective method in increasing the chances of couples trying to get pregnant. He also mentioned that the chances of a couple engaging in regular unprotected sex and a couple engaging in sex during fertile time frames are just the same.

The first day of menstruation marks the start of a woman’s cycle. By tradition, the tenth to the seventeenth day is considered her fertile days. Note that this is based on an extremely regular cycle of 28 days with ovulation happening on the fourteenth day. This is quite far from reality with only about 30% of women fitting this category. Aside from this, ovulation does not also happen at the same time with each cycle.

This fertile period usually lasts for about a week per month. Sperm is known to be viable to up to about seven days in the cervix while the egg cell is still available for fertilization for about 24 to 48 hours post ovulation. The fact that ovulation is unpredictable makes things difficult, especially for teenagers and women nearing menopause since they have very irregular cycles. Women with thyroid disease are also affected with irregular menstruation cycles.

In the NIH study that Dr. Wilcox and his colleagues conducted in 2005, they selected 213 women ranging from 25 to 35 years of age who are believed to have more regular cycles than other age ranges. They discovered that the fertile period can extend as far as the expected launch of menstruation. Aside from this, they also found out that the fertile period can begin as soon as the fourth day of her cycle. 17% of the women were also observed to be fertile by the seventh day. This study clearly shows that a woman can still get pregnant when she engages in sexual intercourse during menstruation.

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