Can You Still Get Pregnant If The Sperm Comes Out?

Whether you are trying to conceive or not, we all know the basics: if sperm gets in the vagina you could get pregnant especially if it’s during your fertile window. But as straightforward as that may sound, you may still be battling with a few questions that have gone answered. For instance, “Can you still get pregnant if sperm comes out of the vagina?” Let’s not confuse this with the pull-out method which you can learn more about here. For now, let’s learn why and when the leak happens.

Why does sperm leak out after sex?

It’s important to first understand the difference between semen and sperm. Semen is the liquid that comes out of the penis, and sperm are the cells found in semen that are responsible for fertilizing egg cells in a female. Immediately after ejaculation, about 35% of the sperm break free from the semen and start travelling toward the cervix. This is all with the help of vaginal discharge which is even more effective when ovulating because of the texture and structure. Depending on the position, semen is deposited in the vagina and close to the cervix while the remainder and other liquids in semen simply exit through the opening of the vagina.

Exactly how much semen and sperm are released?

On average about 1 teaspoon or 4 millilitres of semen is produced during ejaculation. However, this depends on the person’s sperm health and when they last ejaculated and can range between 1.2 and 7.6 ml. According to The World Health Organization, it is estimated that each time men ejaculate, they may produce between 23 million and 928 million sperm cells. Sounds a lot right? With the millions of sperm in the semen, only one sperm travels through the cervix to the egg while semen and the remaining sperm come out through the vaginal canal.

Have you ever noticed discharge after sex? Plenty of sperm could be left inside the vagina to allow for the possible fertilization of an egg. Keep in mind that, in the right conditions, sperm can live in the uterus for up to 5 days. Meaning it is possible to become pregnant if you have sex while on your period.

Can you still get pregnant if sperm falls out?

Short answer: Yes! Even if sperm and semen come out of the vagina, you may still find yourself pregnant. This is regardless of whether you go or don’t go to the bathroom right after sex. The fact is, there’s hope that semen leaking out after sex does not hurt your chances of conceiving.

Can I push out sperm and not get pregnant?

Regardless of whether you are trying to conceive or not, you must have wondered what you can do to influence your chances of getting pregnant.

Surely there must be ways to encourage or stop the semen from swimming upstream, right?

Peeing after sex

While peeing after sex is a good hygiene practice and helps to flush out any infection-causing organisms, it doesn’t affect your chances of becoming pregnant. This is because urine is released from the urethra, and sperm is ejaculated into the vaginal canal.

Douching after sex

Douching is a method to wash out the vagina, usually with water. Some women use this method as a form of birth control but it’s not a reliable method of contraception. If you wish to avoid pregnancy, the best thing to do is to choose the right contraceptive for you. If anything, douching increases the risk of infection.

Lying still after sex

This is probably one of the most controversial fertility practices for those who are trying to conceive. Some studies point out that it doesn’t matter if you lie down while others claim that it could increase chances. Grace Health maintains that whatever you choose to do is up to you. As satisfying as laying down is, it “might” help keep as much sperm as possible in contact with the cervix, but if you need to get up for any reason, get up! It’s not going to lessen your chances of pregnancy.

Often, the sperm arrives and must wait patiently until an egg is released from the ovary. Remember sperm can survive in the body for roughly five days, this means that conception can happen several days after sex. Besides cervical mucus acts as an excellent reservoir for sperm which then swim into the uterus and eventually, into the tube.

In summary

It's perfectly normal if some amount of semen or sperm leaks from the vagina after sex, and you should not worry about trying to "keep" it inside. No rule says you must lie in bed with your legs up after intercourse to get pregnant. It’s entirely up to you! If semen leaks out afterwards it doesn't decrease your chances of conceiving if that’s your intention.

As always if you are still unsure or need more information, just reach out to your doctor for help.

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