Patient's question:
I would like to ask how many days after fertilization can one know they are pregnant. My period was on the 20th of last month, with a cycle of 28 days. I had intercourse on December 29th, 31st, January 2nd, and 4th. Is it easy to get pregnant like this?Doctor's answer:
Clinically, there is no absolute safe period. Normal fertile women experience one menstrual period per month. The time from the onset of one menstrual period to the first day of the next is called one menstrual cycle. From the perspective of contraception, a woman's menstrual cycle can be divided into the menstrual period, ovulation period, and safe period. Generally, women of normal reproductive age release only one egg per month. After ovulation, the egg can survive for 1 to 2 days, while sperm can survive in the female reproductive tract for 2 to 3 days. Fertilization capability is usually within 24 hours after ovulation, and sperm lose the ability to fertilize an egg after 2 to 3 days. Therefore, sexual intercourse 2 to 3 days before and 1 to 2 days after ovulation can lead to pregnancy, and this period is called the fertile period or risky period. A woman's ovulation date is usually about 14 days before the next menstrual period. For safety, we consider the 5 days before and 4 days after the ovulation date, including the ovulation day itself, as 10 days of the ovulation period. The remaining time, except for the menstrual period, is called the safe period.