# Chances of pregnancy **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 10, 2002, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chances-of-pregnancy/136167 "2002-11-10T20:08:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![kip70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f9b8f/32.png) [@kip70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kip70)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2002, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chances-of-pregnancy/136167/1 "2002-11-10T20:08:37Z")
Hope you don’t mind this sexualy open question… Here goes: I was in bed with my latest flame last night. She doesn’t want to have intercourse yet, since she is afraid just a condom isn’t safe enough (she’s going to get the pill this week). Well, there was a bit of fondling and after a while and I came. The sperm ended up on my own stomach, and I wiped it of with a Kleenex. A while after that there was some more fondling and I put my fingers inside her. It was only this morning that I realised that fingering her after my open air ejaculation might not have been such a smart move. My fingers were dry and there was at least 20 minutes or so between the two moments, but my question is: is there a chance this girl could get pregnant from what happened? Again, I hope I’m not offending anyone with this explicit question! ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2002, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chances-of-pregnancy/136167/2 "2002-11-10T20:19:45Z")
> **[Ask the Experts: Does sperm die when it hits the air? - Teen Wire](https://teenwire.com/ask/articles/as_20010102p139.asp)** > > Your Question: Dear Experts, Does sperm die when it hits the air? curious22 The Answer: Dear curious22, This is a common myth, but sorry, sperm do not spontaneously combust when they hit the air! Sperm can usually live up to seven days when... > [@](#): > > Dear Experts, > Does sperm die when it hits the air? > > curious22 > > Dear curious22, > This is a common myth, but sorry, sperm do not spontaneously combust when they hit the air! > > Sperm can usually live up to seven days when they’re in the cervical mucus of a woman’s vagina. However, when they’re not being nourished and protected by cervical mucus, vaginal secretions, the warmth and moisture of a man’s urethra and reproductive tract, or other warm and moist conditions, they die anywhere between a half an hour to four hours. > > If you’ve touched semen, it’s a good idea to wash your hands, or at least wipe them off before touching the vulva or vagina. > Hope this information helps! > > Take care, > > Teenwire® Editors [http://www.medhelp.org/forums/maternal/archive/2170.html](http://www.medhelp.org/forums/maternal/archive/2170.html) > [@](#): > > : How long does sperm live outside the body. Specifically I have the following questions: > : - If sperm is dry to the touch, say on a finger or on sheets, is it dead? > : - I have read different places that sperm needs a moist warm enviornment to survive. What constitutes a moist warm enviornment. Does a bathtub constitute a moist warm enviornment? Can sperm survice in water such as in a bathtub? Can sperm survive on a “damp towel” that is used to clean up sperm after an ejaculation? > : - Can sperm survive in a woman’s mouth and for how long, technically a moist warm enviornment? What if you ejaculate or get pre-cum in a woman’s mouth, deep kiss, and then perform oral sex on her, can she get pregnant? > : - Can sperm from an ejaculation go through clothes? > : - How long does sperm live in the open air. > > : Does anyone know anyone that has become pregnant without having intercourse? > > Dear Darren: > Sperm are living cells. They remain healthy within a small range of temperature, moisture, molarity (content of salt and other chemicals in the moisture) and acidity. Sperm which have become totally dry, which have become immeshed into fabric, which have been exposed to destructive forces such as the enzymes in saliva, the heat, soapiness, or lack of balanced salt content in bathwater are unlikely to survive (continue to swim) for longer than minutes. > > Pregnancy can occur without intercourse if sperm-rich ejaculate in deposited near the entrance to the vagina: this is a poor way to become pregnant but it has happened. [http://www.babymed.com/docs/english/450.asp](http://www.babymed.com/docs/english/450.asp) > [@](#): > > How long can sperm survive after ejaculation? > A: The survival of spermatozoa or sperm depends on the conditions under which they are being held: > > In excellent laboratory conditions and in a nutrient medium they can remain alive for up to seven days. > > A sperm sample collected in a sterile container under body temperature may remain alive for several hours, but the sperms’ fertilizing capability drops dramatically within 60 minutes after ejaculation. > > Sperms exposed to air, and sperms deposited on clothing, bed linens or toilet seats, for example, dry out very quickly and die, usually within minutes after ejaculation. > > Sperms deposited inside the vagina usually die within 20-30 minutes after ejaculation. > > Sperms that move from the vagina into the uterus can survive longer. Studies have shown that conception is possible up to 5-6 days after intercourse. So it is possible for some sperms to survive that long in the uterus, usually the cervical mucus or the fallopian tubes. But that is not typical. Most sperms die in the uterus within 24-48 hours after ejaculation, and the more time has passed after ejaculation, the less likely is the fertilization of the egg. ---
**Author:** ![kip70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f9b8f/32.png) [@kip70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kip70)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2002, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chances-of-pregnancy/136167/3 "2002-11-10T20:29:45Z")
Wow Duck Duck, Qiuck and thorough, that is what you are! And thanks, you’ve pretty much relieved my worries. ---
**Author:** ![TheLadyLion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d78d45/32.png) [@TheLadyLion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLadyLion)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2002, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chances-of-pregnancy/136167/4 "2002-11-10T21:51:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Duck Duck Goose \* > \*\* Sperm can usually live up to seven days when they’re in the cervical mucus of a woman’s vagina. However, when they’re not being nourished and protected by cervical mucus, vaginal secretions, the warmth and moisture of a man’s urethra and reproductive tract, or other warm and moist conditions, they die anywhere between a half an hour to four hours. > \*\* Someone needs to tell Teenwire that a woman’s internal system is hardly nourishing and protective toward sperm. The woman’s body is programmed to respond to sperm as invaders and try to keep them out of the body. Vaginal secretions typically kill about 2/3 of live sperm before they ever make it into the uterus. Cervical secretions are usually thick and make it almost impossible for the sperm to pass… unless a female is ovulating. It’s only at that point that the cervix produced mucin, which are thin silky strands which the sperm “climb” to enter the uterus. The mucin doesn’t really protect the sperm, but it does give the sperm a fighting chance of making it to their goal. ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2002, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chances-of-pregnancy/136167/5 "2002-11-11T05:35:50Z")
Er, Teenwire _wants_ teens to think of the woman’s body as sperm-friendly. If they build up the “sperm are invaders and the woman’s body will fight them off”, then you’ll have teens thinking, “Oh, well, so what if I put it in first before I got the condom put on and some sperms leaked out, it won’t hurt, her body will just fight them off…” You never been a dumb horny teenager? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Eidolon909](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ce7236/32.png) [@Eidolon909](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eidolon909)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2002, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chances-of-pregnancy/136167/6 "2002-11-11T06:37:53Z")
To use a NASA term, there is a “non-zero” chance for her to get pregnant. But the chance is extremely extremely small. Not even worth thinking and certainly not worrying about. Its also compounded by the fact you don’t know where she was in her cycle, she may not even have been fertile. Consider the fact that a man can ejaculate a full load inside a women during her most fertile period and the chance of getting her pregnant is still not sizeable. ---
**Author:** ![DAVEW0071](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e19b73/32.png) [@DAVEW0071](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DAVEW0071)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2002, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chances-of-pregnancy/136167/7 "2002-11-11T12:37:37Z")
But knowing all this, please be careful, act intelligently and responsibly, and do the right thing. This has been a public service announcement from the SDMB’s resident Old Fart[sup]TM[/sup]. ---
**Author:** ![kip70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f9b8f/32.png) [@kip70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kip70)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2002, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chances-of-pregnancy/136167/8 "2002-11-11T18:24:50Z")
Will do, resident old fart! ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2002, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chances-of-pregnancy/136167/9 "2002-11-11T19:41:10Z")
Yeah, I’m with Dave. ‘non-zero’ is not ‘zero’. Play carefully, there, kip. ---
**Author:** ![nth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/58956e/32.png) [@nth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nth)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2002, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chances-of-pregnancy/136167/10 "2002-11-11T21:54:33Z")
i’ve seen people say the percentages… that condoms are like 37% effective. they say poorly handling condoms are most of the reason. does anyone know what 37% mean? how they get that number? does it mean 100 men try condoms and 63 of them got their partners pregnant? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2002, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chances-of-pregnancy/136167/11 "2002-11-12T01:01:18Z")
> [@](#): > > Cervical secretions are usually thick and make it almost impossible for the sperm to pass… unless a female is ovulating. But isn’t that the whole point? The question is whether pregnancy will result, which rather assumes ovulation in the first place. ---
**Author:** ![DoctorJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctorj/32/2904_2.png) [@DoctorJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DoctorJ)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2002, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chances-of-pregnancy/136167/12 "2002-11-12T02:20:26Z")
> [@](#): > > does anyone know what 37% mean? how they get that number? > does it mean 100 men try condoms and 63 of them got their partners pregnant? No. The numbers they usually give represent how many women will get pregnant on that particular birth control measure in one year of “optimally spaced” intercourse. As anyone who has been to a fertility doc will tell you, the way to get pregnant is not to go at it all day every day, but to space it out to about once every 2-3 days; more often than that, and you get diminishing returns, so to speak. On this optimal regimen, 85% of women of child-bearing age will get pregnant in a year with no birth control at all. Condoms usually claim a “failure rate” of 10-15% in a year. (Spermicide doesn’t add much if any to that number.) Birth control pills have a failure rate of 1-3% or so, and Depo-Provera and the other shots (Lunelle) have a failure rate of less than 1%. Dr. J ---
**Author:** ![Agback](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/977dab/32.png) [@Agback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agback)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2002, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chances-of-pregnancy/136167/13 "2002-11-12T02:20:59Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by nth \* > \*\*i’ve seen people say the percentages… that condoms are like 37% effective. they say poorly handling condoms are most of the reason. > > does anyone know what 37% mean? how they get that number? > does it mean 100 men try condoms and 63 of them got their partners pregnant? \*\* I gather that the failure rate of means of contraception is based not on the number of conceptions per act of coitus, but on the number of conceptions per year of use. So (if that figure above is accurate), if you and your partner choose to use condoms as your sole means of contraception, and fuck at a normal frequency for a year, being just as careful or careless, and just as diligent or lax, as people normally are when they are relying on condoms, the chance that whichever of you is female will conceive is 63%. But I must say that I thought the figures for effectiveness of condoms was higher than 37%. More like 60-70%. So: stick with the frangers and nonoxlnol-9 as a precaution against STDs, but back them up with an IUD or the Pill if you want serious contraception. Nothing beats the old belt-and-braces. Regards, Agback ---
**Author:** ![nth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/58956e/32.png) [@nth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nth)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2002, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chances-of-pregnancy/136167/14 "2002-11-14T23:18:11Z")
thanks! maybe i got my numbers inverted… ---
**Author:** ![bernse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@bernse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bernse)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2002, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chances-of-pregnancy/136167/15 "2002-11-15T00:22:41Z")
> [@](#): > > Spermicide doesn’t add much if any to that number Really? I understood it was quite effective, especially in conjunction with another method. ---
**Author:** ![JillGat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9fc29f/32.png) [@JillGat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JillGat)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2002, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chances-of-pregnancy/136167/16 "2002-11-15T03:32:11Z")
Don’t use Nonoxynol 9 spermicide if you’re hoping to prevent infection with HIV, though. It can irritate the vaginal lining and facilitate infection with the virus if one’s partner is infected.