You can get pregnant at any time, even if it’s not your “time of the month.”

A woman has about a one-in-four chance of becoming pregnant each cycle. Some women ovulate multiple times in a month, but usually only one egg is released each time. The rest of the time, there’s no egg to fertilize and you’re not at risk for pregnancy.

But when you do ovulate — whether it’s during your regular period or not — you’re fertile for about five days before and after this event. This means that you’re most likely to get pregnant during that time. So if you have sex on days 15 and 16 of your cycle (which would be day 17) you’ll be more likely to get pregnant than if you had sex on days 6 and 7 (which would be day 8).

The best way to avoid getting pregnant is with reliable birth control. If you don’t want to take daily medication or use condoms every time, consider other options like an IUD or implant that are effective for years after just one insertion appointment.

Last modified: October 26, 2022