Patient's question:
I got my period on December 29th. We had sex on the 5th, and he entered me with semen. We had sex again on the 15th, and he used withdrawal. My menstrual cycle is irregular, sometimes 26 days, sometimes 27 days, or 28 days. Shouldn't I be pregnant? What are the symptoms of early pregnancy? When can I check if I'm pregnant? Thank you!Doctor's answer:
The fertilized egg is fertilized in the fallopian tube and takes 1-2 days to implant into the endometrium. After implantation, it takes 5-7 days for higher concentrations of HCG to be secreted. Therefore, early pregnancy tests can detect pregnancy as early as 7-9 days. However, sperm has a survival time of three days. If intercourse occurs three days before ovulation, pregnancy is also possible. Thus, if intercourse does not occur during the ovulation period, early pregnancy tests should be able to detect pregnancy within 10-12 days.