Can a girl push sperm out and not get pregnant

If you're trying to get pregnant, you might start viewing penis-in-vagina sex a little differently. For instance, you might start timing sex to increase your chances of conceiving and trying different positions that are prime for baby-making—and keeping semen inside the vagina. You might also wonder why sperm sometimes comes out of the vagina hours after sex.

When trying to conceive (TTC), it's normal to be worried if you notice that a small amount of semen (and, by extension, sperm) leaks out of your vagina after your partner ejaculates. This leakage is nothing to worry about but can understandably be discouraging when the goal is conception. You're left to wonder: "How is sperm supposed to fertilize my eggs if it's not making it there?"

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In actuality, though, it's entirely normal for some sperm to leak out of the vagina after sex that ends in your partner ejaculating into your vagina, says Michele Hakakha, M.D., FACOG, an OB-GYN in Beverly Hills and author of Expecting 411. Good news: Some sperm coming out is expected and doesn't affect your chances of getting pregnant. Read on to learn why you can still get pregnant if sperm comes out after sex.

Why It's OK If Some Semen Leaks Out

To understand why it's OK if some semen comes out, it helps to get a basic run-down of how conception works. "Semen (the stuff that comes out of the penis with ejaculation) is made up of a lot of different things," explains Dr. Hakakha. "One of its components is sperm."

Healthy ejaculate contains anywhere from 23 to 928 million sperm, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). And just one sperm is needed to fertilize your egg for conception to occur. So, in reality, while you may notice what appears to be quite a lot of sperm leaking out of the vagina after penis-in-vagina sex, sperm is just one component of that fluid—and there's likely plenty of it to reach an egg if that is your goal.

Ejaculate often leaks out of the vagina after baby-making sex, and while there is not much you can do to prevent this from happening, that's OK. In fact, some amount of leakage could be a good sign since it could indicate a healthy amount of sperm that could result in pregnancy.

The Journey Sperm Take

If you're still uneasy about the amount of semen you find leaking out after sex, it can be helpful to think about the journey sperm takes after ejaculation. How can you confirm how much sperm went inside? Well, it may help to know that little actually ends up where it needs to go to conceive successfully (assuming the timing is right, of course).

Here are some places sperm may end up after entering the vagina:

  • Some semen will inevitably leak out of the vagina upon standing or changing positions.
  • Some of the sperm will remain in the back of the vagina (the posterior fornix).
  • An even smaller amount will make its way through the cervix, into the uterus, and down the fallopian tubes.

Sperm travels quickly, so it begins trekking to the fallopian tubes within minutes. "It's here, in the fallopian tubes, that the sperm and egg meet," says Dr. Hakakha.

The Bottom Line

The bottom line is that it's perfectly normal if some amount of semen (and sperm) leaks from the vagina after penis-in-vagina sex. And you don't need to worry about trying to "keep" it inside, either. "You don't need to lie in bed with your legs up after intercourse to get pregnant," says Dr. Hakakha. "The fact that semen is leaking out afterward doesn't decrease your chances of conceiving."

A pregnancy could result if the right circumstances are in place. For instance, timing sex with ovulation makes it more likely that an egg will be ready to be fertilized—but keep in mind that conception often takes time. For example, research shows that only about 30% of people trying to get pregnant will conceive the first month they try. But that same research shows that the rate increases to 75% within six months and 90% after a year.

According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), if you're under 35 and you've been trying to conceive for one year with no results, you may want to consider a fertility evaluation. If you're over 35 years old, the time frame decreases to six months, and those over 40 should get one right away.

The pre-teen birds and bees talk all made it seem so simple. Love, sex, and pregnancy. Each was easily explained, right? (Or maybe it was just that you wanted that awkward conversation to end?) Whatever the case, you thought you had it all figured out.

Unfortunately, as you’ve reached a different stage in life and the desire to control your family size has become a more pressing issue, you’ve likely been left with a few questions. One of which being, can you still get pregnant if the sperm comes out and doesn’t stay in the vagina? (And no, we’re not just talking about the pull out method!)

In short: Yes, even if sperm and semen come out of the vagina, you may still find yourself pregnant. Confused? Want more information? Don’t worry, we’ll explain it all, just keep reading!

To understand how it’s possible to have sperm leak out after sex and still become pregnant, it’s important to discuss the difference between semen and sperm.

Simply put, semen is the liquid that comes out of the penis, and sperm are the cells found in semen that are responsible for fertilizing egg cells in a female. When a male is aroused, sperm mixes with bodily secretions to make semen. (You can think of sperm as the chia seeds in chia seed pudding!)

In addition to sperm cells, semen includes a number of bodily secretions to help those sperm cells survive to reach the egg cell. These include prostatic fluid (for neutralizing the acidity of the vagina), seminal fluid (to help nourish the sperm), and bulbourethral fluid (to lubricate the penis).

Additionally, semen includes many nutrients. According to a 2013 review of studies, semen includes protein, vitamin C, and a lot of zinc. It also contains fructose, sodium, cholesterol, fat, and traces of vitamin B-12.

Because such a small amount of semen is ejaculated during sex, any effect on your nutritional intake will likely be minimal. However, if a sperm cell fertilizes an egg cell, the effect on your life may be big!

During sex, the semen is deposited in the vagina, usually close to the cervix, depending on the position. Some of the sperm immediately begin swimming to the egg, while the remainder and other liquids in semen simply exit through the opening of the vagina.

So how much semen and sperm are released?

According to the World Health Organization, when a penis ejaculates an average of about 1 teaspoon or 4 milliliters of semen is produced. (Although, this can range between 1.2 and 7.6 mL depending on the person’s health and when they last ejaculated.)

The World Health Organization has also provided values that estimate each time males ejaculate, they may produce between 23 million and 928 million sperm cells. (Put another way, a milliliter of semen may include anywhere from 9 million to 259 million sperm cells.)

Given the right conditions, sperm can live in the uterus for up to 5 days. (This makes it technically possible to become pregnant if you have sex while on your period.) Sperm can also live up to 72 hours in an incubator, and they may last for years if frozen. Needless to say, sperm has some staying power.

Because of the vast amount of sperm in semen (think millions… ), as well as the need for only one sperm to fertilize the egg cell, it’s possible for one sperm to travel through the cervix while semen and additional sperm come back out of the vaginal canal.

Even if you notice discharge after sex, plenty of sperm are left inside the vagina to allow for the possible fertilization of an egg.

Whether you want to become pregnant or are trying to avoid becoming pregnant, you may have wondered whether it’s possible to affect your chances of getting pregnant by going to the bathroom, douching, or even just moving around right after sex. Something has to encourage or stop the semen from swimming upstream, right?

Peeing after sex

The truth is, going to the bathroom to clean up or pee after sex won’t affect your chances of becoming pregnant.

This is because even if you were to pee seconds after you had sex, releasing pee from the urethra won’t flush sperm out of your vagina. Urine is released from the urethra, and sperm is ejaculated into the vaginal canal. Since these are two separate openings, what happens in one won’t affect what happens in the other.

Douching after sex

While douching has been linked to problems with conception, it’s not a reliable form of birth control and should not be used as such. If you’re hoping to prevent pregnancy, speak to your doctor about safer, more effective measures you can take.

Beyond being a poor birth control method, douching can increase your risk of infection. So even if your motivation to do so has nothing to do with your pregnancy plans, you should avoid douching. The health benefits just aren’t there, and it has plenty of negative effects.

Lying still after sex

Unlike peeing and douching, the verdict on moving after right after sex is a little more split as to whether it increases your chances of pregnancy. The studies on the topic focus on those using assisted reproductive technologies.

At least one study has shown that it does not matter if you remain in a reclined position for a prolonged period after sperm has been implanted via intrauterine insemination (IUI). However, another older study found that 15 minutes of staying put after sex after IUI increased chances of conception.

Whatever you decide to do, women in these studies weren’t spending more than 15 to 30 minutes reclining, so you don’t have to worry about waiting hours after having sex before you move!

After all, no matter what steps you take to try to avoid or become pregnant, once sperm is released, it can move quickly. One study has shown that sperm deposited near the cervix was able to travel a significant distance quickly, and that a fast swimming sperm takes only 1 minute to reach the fallopian tubes.

If you’re interested in becoming pregnant, one of the things you can do is carefully track your cycles to identify your fertile windows. That way sperm will have a better chance of reaching an egg cell at the right time.

Contrarily, if you’re trying to avoid becoming pregnant, you can track your cycles to avoid having sex during your peak fertility periods and speak to your doctor about other, more reliable kinds of birth control.

Most couples will spend significant time discussing the timing and number of children they want in their family. Because becoming pregnant is likely something that you want to carefully plan, it’s important to remember that anytime sperm comes in contact with the vaginal canal, it’s possible to become pregnant ⁠— even if most of the semen comes out or never goes in!

So, while your questions about sex may have become more complicated than they were when you first heard about the birds and the bees, creating a baby really does ultimately come down to one sperm cell meeting an egg cell.

Can you release sperm and not get pregnant?

Because becoming pregnant is likely something that you want to carefully plan, it's important to remember that anytime sperm comes in contact with the vaginal canal, it's possible to become pregnant ⁠— even if most of the semen comes out or never goes in!

How do I know if my sperm went inside?

5 Signs Sperm Is Inside Your Body.
Morning Sickness Could Determine That Sperm Has Gone Into Your Body. ... .
Sperm Leakage Indicates Sperm Within Your Body. ... .
Pregnancy Is A Clear Indication of Sperm Within Your Body. ... .
Delayed Periods Can Confirm Whether Sperm Went Inside. ... .
Fatigue Is a Sign Of Sperm In Your Body..

How long does it take for sperm to come out of a woman?

Sperm can live inside the vagina for up to 7 days. Once sperm enters the uterus, there is no scientifically proven way of removing it. Between a few minutes and several hours after intercourse, some fluid may come out of the vagina.

Can you still get pregnant if you pull out?

Pulling out isn't a very reliable way to prevent pregnancy. It works about 78% of the time, which means that over a year of using this method, 22 out of 100 women -- about 1 in 5 -- would get pregnant. By comparison, male condoms are 98% effective when used correctly every time.