Can You Get Pregnant During Your Period? The Truth About 3 Common Period Myths

Welcome to POPSUGAR Uninhibited, a space where anyone with a period can come for advice, recommendations and support. Here, we’ll tackle topics like PMS, sustainability, post-partum periods and bring you first-person experiences in our period diaries. We also want to raise awareness around period poverty, with the aim to ignite change with the help of our launch partner Modibodi and charity partner Share the Dignity. You can find all of the stories here. 

Despite half of the world’s population consisting of people who menstruate, there is still not a lot known about menstruation. There also continues to be so much shame connected to periods, that this experience is often talked about in hushed voices, if at all.

This stigma means that many people don’t really know a lot about their own menstrual cycle, which allows myths to proliferate in society. While some are pretty harmless, others can stop people from doing things or could lead to outcomes they weren’t expecting.

To help clear this up, we’ve compiled some of the most common myths about menstruation and debunked them. From period sex to cycle syncing, here’s what you need to know.

You Can’t Get Pregnant During Your Period

This is an extremely common myth but it’s completely untrue. You can definitely fall pregnant while you have your period and while it’s less likely, it’s not impossible. While the average menstrual cycle is usually between 28 to 30 days, those with a shorter cycle won’t have as long between their period and when they ovulate, which could lead to pregnancy.

The other factor to consider is how long sperm can live inside people with vulvas, which in some cases can be up to 72 hours after ejaculation. Your chances of falling pregnant increase towards the end of your period so it’s best to practice safe sex with contraception even during your period.

Your Cycle Syncs With Your Friends’ Cycles

Have you ever noticed that your menstrual cycle can sync up when you spend a lot of time with your friends? While this phenomenon is common anecdotally, the research doesn’t back it up. Known as the McClintock effect, there have been many studies investigating this event.

Research from 2006 collected data from 186 women living in groups in China but, according to Healthline, researchers concluded that it was merely a mathematical coincidence.

The largest body of work in this area was undertaken by Oxford University in conjunction with period tracking app Clue. The research looked at data from over 1,500 people and found that it’s unlikely that menstruating people can disrupt the cycles of other people just by being in close proximity. Sad but true.

You Should Avoid Having Sex During Your Period

Nope, this is not a thing. You can totally have sex during your period — it’s totally safe. While period sex is a little messy at times, it can actually offer benefits including pain relief, with orgasms having the ability to help relieve menstrual cramps.

There is nothing dirty or impure about period blood — it’s completely normal and having your period is nothing to be embarrassed or ashamed about. If you want to have sex while on your period, and your partner is consenting, go for it! It’s best to use a condom when having period sex to limit the possibility of pregnancy or passing on a sexually transmitted infection that can live in blood.

Always seek the guidance of your doctor or other qualified healthcare professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition.