Patient's question:
I had my period on October 29th. It didn't completely stop until around November 3rd, but the flow had significantly decreased. On the evening of November 3rd, I had sexual intercourse with someone of the opposite sex. Then, on the morning of November 4th, I noticed a heavy flow. Out of fear of pregnancy, I took two emergency contraceptive pills (Yuting) on the morning of November 4th. My period stopped from November 5th to 8th, but it returned again on November 9th. Today, the flow is especially heavy, and I've occasionally seen small blood clots. What could be the reason for this? Should I go to the hospital for a detailed check-up?Follow-up question: Could I be pregnant? What is my safe period?
Doctor's answer:
Hello: It may be the effect of emergency contraception, and you will not get pregnant. A woman's ovulation date is generally around 14 days before the next menstrual period. After the egg is released from the ovary, it can survive in the fallopian tube for 1-2 days, waiting for fertilization; male sperm can maintain fertilization ability in a woman's reproductive tract for 2-3 days, so sexual intercourse during the days before and after ovulation is more likely to result in pregnancy. For safety, we consider the 5 days before ovulation, the 4 days after ovulation, and ovulation itself as a total of 10 days to be the fertile window. Because sexual intercourse during the fertile window is more likely to result in pregnancy, it is also referred to as the "dangerous period" or "high-risk period."The safe period is divided into the pre-ovulation safe period and the post-ovulation safe period. The period from the day the menstruation is clean to the day before the start of the fertile window is the pre-ovulation safe period. The period from the day after the fertile window ends to the day before the next menstrual period is the post-ovulation safe period. The post-ovulation safe period is safer than the pre-ovulation safe period. This is because some women may experience early ovulation due to environmental changes or emotional fluctuations, which shortens the pre-ovulation safe period without their knowledge, making it less safe. It is rare for a woman to ovulate twice in one menstrual cycle, meaning that there is generally no second ovulation after the first ovulation until the next menstrual period. Therefore, the post-ovulation safe period is considered safer.