Friday, June 28, 2002
TEEN HEALTH
Avoiding pregnancy
A lot of people think that if a girl has sex during her period, she can't get pregnant. But even though this belief is common, it is possible for a girl to get pregnant while she is bleeding.
There are a couple reasons why this can happen:
UNot all vaginal bleeding is the result of a menstrual period. During ovulation, an egg is released from one of the ovaries and travels down a fallopian tube to the uterus. It's common for girls who are ovulating to have some vaginal bleeding that can be mistaken for a period.
USometimes ovulation can occur before the bleeding from a girl's period has stopped, or it may occur within a few days after her period is over.
In both cases, having sex before the period is finished can result in pregnancy.
Having unprotected sex at any time, including when you're bleeding, is very risky. Along with the risk of becoming pregnant, there is also a risk of getting a sexually transmitted disease, such as chlamydia, genital warts, or HIV.