T O P I C R E V I E W
beaver987
Member # 95850
posted 06-16-2012 09:09 AM
Hi Scarleteen, Why is the rubbing/touching of genitals considered a pregnancy risk if pre-cum does not contain sperm if the man went to the bathroom at leaset once (to wash away the left over sperm cells) after the last ejaculation? I was just wondering becasue I was nervous that I touched my boyfriends penis (with my vagina)...I don't think it happened (becasue i'm assuming I would have felt it?? I also remember thinking "That was close, I need to move back" (trying the 69)). I'm not really worried because I'm just about positive it didn't happen, but I was just wondering! I am on the pill as well which helps with my worries with things as well!
Rei
Member # 49582
posted 06-16-2012 11:37 AM
It's unlikely that pre-cum will contain sperm if the person with the penis has urinated since their has ejaculation. However, we can't know for sure if there are no sperm cells left in the urinary tract, so it's still a risk - but a tiny one. As you're on the pill as well, if your partner's penis had of briefly touched your vulva (which you almost definately would have felt) you still would have had at least 99.98% protection against pregnancy.
beaver987
Member # 95850
posted 06-16-2012 02:29 PM
Thanks so much. I seem to make a lot of "what if" statements after this (like his penis actually touching my vagina, when I really don't think it did). I would have noticed since it's a sensitive area anyways, correct? We've never ever touched genitals before.
Rei
Member # 49582
posted 06-16-2012 02:35 PM
Yeah, especially when we're aroused, the vulva (the name for the whole of your genitals, including your vagina, which is inside the body) becomes super duper sensitive. However, if you are worried about this happening again, and being unsure like this; condoms can do the world of good, and also protect against STIs. Are you both up to date on your STI tests - as in, you've both been tested before you began your sexual relationship together?
beaver987
Member # 95850
posted 06-16-2012 02:43 PM
Neither of us have STDS and we have been each other's only sexual partners. I really don't think that we touched, I start to think of the worst possible thing happening afterwards. After learning about how things work, i've gotten much better than I was before (and more comfortable), just things like this sometimes scare me. I wouldn't say that i'm not ready by any means (I feel like I definitely am). Do you have any advice for helping not psych myself out?
Rei
Member # 49582
posted 06-16-2012 02:56 PM
Using a back-up method of contraception can do wonders for our peace of mind. Here's more on back up your pill with a second method: The Buddy System! Backing up your Birth Control with a Second Method
beaver987
Member # 95850
posted 06-16-2012 09:17 PM
Wow, so with the pill and everything, i'm at least 99.98% protected IF they were to touch? Also, when does precum not contain sperm? Is it after urination? Or do they have urinate multiple times? If they did not ejaculate more than 3 days before intercourse or touching, would the sperm still be left in the tract (in precum)?
Karybu
Member # 20094
posted 06-16-2012 10:21 PM
The pill is 99% effective with perfect use. However, since those numbers are calculated based on laboratory situations, not real life, it's pretty much impossible for anyone to be a truly perfect user. If you take your pill as directed though, your level of protection from pregnancy is still very high. If someone with a penis urinates after ejaculating, then it is unlikely that the next time they get an erection, that pre-ejaculate will contain sperm. The thing is though, there's no way of knowing whether pre-ejaculate contains sperm without putting it under a microscope, and that's not really possible most of the time So it's safest to assume that pre-ejaculate always has some sperm in it.
beaver987
Member # 95850
posted 06-17-2012 02:33 PM
How is withdrawl 96% effective with "perfect" use? My health teacher always said that people should never use it becasue it is not a reliable method at all. When does it fail? Couldn't you actually get pregnant pretty easily from withdrawl if precum always has a little sperm in it?
Stephanie_1
Member # 36725
posted 06-17-2012 02:50 PM
While sperm are not innately in pre-ejaculate, they can be picked up on the way from a recent ejaculation. So even if the guy pulls out if sperm IS present then there would be a risk. We generally say it's not the best method for younger people because A) they don't tend to know their body quite as well per when to pull out. And B) it takes a lot of control, which isn't always there. It also does not protect against STIs at all. But pre-ejaculate won't always have sperm present.
Rei
Member # 49582
posted 06-17-2012 02:54 PM
There are far, far less sperm cells in pre-ejaculate (when there are any at all) than in ejaculate. So yes, pre-ejaculate can help to create a pregnancy, but it isn't very likely. Your health teacher was right though; withdrawal fails because it can be hard for the penis to sense when they're going to ejaculate, so for withdrawal to be used 'perfectly', the person with the penis has to withdraw way before they're even close to ejaculation. This link will give you some more info on this: All About Withdrawal .
beaver987
Member # 95850
posted 06-17-2012 03:38 PM
Then, if there are not very many sperm cells at all in precum, is it just hard for them to reach the egg sometimes? Do they die and some sometimes randomly live to create a pregnancy? If somebody were to pair withdrawl with the pill, is it really almost as effective as using condoms?
Rei
Member # 49582
posted 06-17-2012 04:21 PM
It actually takes many, many sperm cells to co-create a pregnancy with an egg. It takes just one to join with an egg, but many 'helper' sperm cells are needed to help that one sperm get there. This article explains this in some detail: A Refresher Course in Human Reproduction Backing up the Combination Pill or minipills and condoms is 99.98% effective for female condoms and 99.99% effective for male condoms. Backing up the Combination Pill or minipills with withdrawal is 99.98% effective. Here more on that: The Buddy System! Backing up your Birth Control with a Second Method . [ 06-17-2012, 04:21 PM: Message edited by: Rei ]
beaver987
Member # 95850
posted 06-17-2012 04:59 PM
Thanks so much! I have one quick (pretty random) question...is it possible to get pregnant if somebody ejaculates next to you in a pool or bathtub? (With a bathtub being pretty small) I was just thinking and saw something online about it so I was just wondering! Thanks! I know it's not genital to genital contact, but could that be considered as ejaculating near a vagina?
beaver987
Member # 95850
posted 06-17-2012 06:23 PM
Also, if the "perfect" user is almost impossible to reach, what percentage of protection do I have if I take my pills every single day within 2 hours?
Onionpie
Member # 41699
posted 06-17-2012 06:38 PM
Hi Beaver987. No, it is not possible to get pregnant from someone ejaculating in water beside you. There has to be direct genital contact. And it's not really possible for us to give you an exact statistic on exactly how effective your particular use of the pill is. I'm afraid that's something nobody can really do for you. But if for this entire cycle, you have never taken a pill late (over 3 hours late) or missed it (over 12 hours late), then you can consider your use pretty close to the "perfect" effectiveness.
beaver987
Member # 95850
posted 06-18-2012 11:52 AM
Thanks so much! How long does it take for the pill to usually absorb into your body? Like, if you were to get sick and vomit or have diarrea in that day would you have to take a second pill? How would you handle it?
Onionpie
Member # 41699
posted 06-19-2012 08:34 PM
It only takes a couple of hours to absorb the pill, so vomiting wouldn't be a problem unless it were pretty immediately after taking the pill. It would count as a missed pill, and it'd usually be suggested that you use a backup method of contraception for the rest of the cycle. I wouldn't suggest taking the next day's pill since that'd throw off your pill sequence by putting you a day ahead.