Can you get pregnant from “precum”
To understand the likelihood of pregnancy from precum (pre-ejaculate), we first have to define the effectiveness of the pull-out method, the presence of sperm in precum, and for whom the withdrawal method is and is not recommended.
These Are Your Real Chances of Getting Pregnant From Pre-Cum
The chances of pre-cum causing pregnancy are pretty low, but they’re not zero—so yes, you can get pregnant from pre-cum.
Pre-cum is a type of lubrication produced specifically for sex by people with testicles before ejaculation occurs. If you’re trying to avoid pregnancy with the withdrawal method, which is when the penis is pulled out from the vagina before ejaculating, then you should take measures to prevent conception with pre-cum. Here’s what you need to know.
What Is Pre-Cum, Exactly?
Pre-cum (or pre-ejaculate) is fluid mostly made up of mucus, proteins, and enzymes. Its balances pH and makes the male urethra less acidic to give sperm a better chance of surviving in the super acidic vagina.
Pre-cum doesn’t usually have sperm in it, but it is possible for some sperm to be lurking there from past ejaculations.
And according to Mitchell Creinin, MD, gynecologist, and director of family planning at UC Davis Health, pre-cum involuntarily comes out before the person physically feels an orgasm and ejaculates. “Pre-cum is really just the beginning of the ejaculate—there is no ‘pre’,” says Dr. Creinin.
Pre-cum (also known as pre-ejaculate) is the whitish fluid that comes out from the tip of the penis during sexual arousal but before full ejaculation. This fluid looks very similar to semen.
“Pre-ejaculate fluid (pre-cum) is a normal part of physiology for lubrication produced by glands of the penis to facilitate sexual intercourse,” says Mike Hsieh, MD, urologist and director of Men’s Health Center at UC San Diego Health. “The penile glands producing the pre-ejaculate fluids do not produce sperm (sperm is made from the testicles), and it is believed that sperm found in the pre-ejaculate fluids are residual sperm inside the urethra from prior ejaculations.”
Is There Sperm in Pre-Cum?
The pre-cum fluid itself does not contain sperm, but sperm can leak into it as it travels down the urethra, where residuals may be present from previous ejaculations and can be released with pre-cum prior to semen. (FYI: Semen contains sperm and is the ejaculate that is emitted during orgasm.)
“Normal semen fluid from ejaculation contains greater than 40 million motile sperms compared to pre-ejaculate fluid, which has anywhere from no sperm to less than 5 million swimmers,” says Dr. Hsieh.
The research on pre-cum and if it contains sperm is limited. For instance, a small 2013 study done on sperm counts of pre-cum in 27 males found that 41% of the participants had sperm in their pre-cum, with 37% of that being motile (healthy) sperm, while a similar 2016 study on sperm count in pre-cum found healthy sperm in about 17% of participants.
But a 2021 study wasn’t able to uncover anything conclusive about sperm in pre-cum, confirming that this question is one that still needs more research.
What Are the Chances You Can Get Pregnant from Pre-Cum?
The short answer is that it’s possible to get pregnant from pre-cum, particularly if you’re using the withdrawal method as birth control during sex.
“It’s estimated that about 20% of people can get pregnant from withdrawal method during sex, so it’s possible those people got pregnant from pre-ejaculate,” says Dr. Hsieh.
Can the Withdrawal Method Prevent Pregnancy?
The withdrawal method is not iron-clad.
“The advice I try to give couples is that if you’re seriously using withdrawal, you have to be comfortable as a couple with the idea of not fully finishing sex,” says Dr. Creinin. “If you are going to enter the vagina without any protection, you should withdraw long before finishing and being really stimulated. Pulling out before the brink of orgasm does not protect you.”
Withdrawal Method
Even if the person with a penis pulls out and ejaculates away from the vagina or vulva area, there is a 4% chance that pregnancy may result. These pregnancies are due to those few sperm cells in precum.
Is There Any Way to Prevent or Avoid Pre-Cum?
There is no way to stop pre-cum, and the amount is determined by many factors.
“The amount of pre-ejaculate fluid can vary depending on arousal level, hormonal status, hydration level, and medications,” says Dr. Hsieh. “The only way to avoid [pre-cum] is through a barrier [e.g., condom]. People thought if a man urinates prior to sex, it can wash out the sperm from the urethra, but this is unproven.”
However, if you choose to use the pull-out method, using another birth control method—like spermicidal lubricant—can help reduce the risk of pregnancy, but as with all birth control methods, it relies on proper and consistent use.
“Anything is more effective than withdrawal alone,” says Dr. Creinin. “If you’re putting contraceptive (spermicidal) gel in the vagina combined with withdrawal, you must follow the directions.” According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, spermicide is only 28% effective when used alone.
Should I Always Use a Condom?
That also means that if you are using condoms as a birth control method, you should be putting a condom on once the penis is erect, before skin-to-skin contact (this is also true for reducing the risk of sexually transmitted infections).
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the chance of conceiving is about 20% if you’re using the withdrawal method. So, while it’s low risk, it’s not impossible. The WHO also notes that the only way to prevent both pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) is through the correct and consistent use of condoms. That said, it’s important to remember that there still is a failure rate with condoms as well.
When Should I Use Emergency Contraception?
If you had sexual intercourse and you are concerned that pre-cum may have put you at risk of getting pregnant when you don’t want to be, you can use emergency contraception. You have two options for emergency contraception.
First, you can have a ParaGuard IUD placed within five days of unprotected sexual intercourse. This IUD can stay in place and continue to serve as birth control.
Another option is the “morning after pill,” a type of birth control pill you take after unprotected sexual intercourse. There are different kinds of morning-after-pills, one you need to take as soon as possible, and another that you can take up to five days after sex. Talk to a health care provider or visit a Planned Parenthood clinic nearest to you as soon as possible.
When Should I Check for Pregnancy?
You won’t know if you got pregnant for at least two to three weeks after you had sex. You might feel tempted to take a pregnancy test the day after, but this would be too soon. It takes at least 10 days for an embryo to implant itself into the uterine wall and produce enough of the pregnancy hormone hCG to be detected by even the most sensitive of pregnancy tests.
Taking a Pregnancy Test
Wait at least two full weeks after sex before taking a pregnancy test. Even better, wait until your period is at least a few days late.
Sometimes, people experience pregnancy-like symptoms a few days after sex and worry this means they may be pregnant. The truth is that you can’t know if you’re pregnant just by “feeling” pregnant. Also, real pregnancy symptoms won’t occur until at least 10 days after conception.
Key Takeaways
You can get pregnant from pre-cum if the penis was placed into the vagina or even (theoretically) if the tip of the penis (with pre-cum) came into contact with the outside of the vagina. If you don’t want to get pregnant, using condoms or over the counter and prescription birth control methods are a more secure form of prevention than the withdrawal or pull out method. Ultimately, it’s always important to talk to a health care provider if you have questions about pregnancy or birth control.
Can you get pregnant from “precum”?
Top things to know about getting pregnant from precum
- Precum can carry a risk of pregnancy
- The withdrawal method is not considered effective in preventing pregnancy
Many people ask themselves, “Can I get pregnant from precum?”. The short answer is yes.
To understand the likelihood of pregnancy from precum (pre-ejaculate), we first have to define the effectiveness of the pull-out method, the presence of sperm in precum, and for whom the withdrawal method is and is not recommended.
What is the withdrawal method?
The withdrawal method of contraception, also known as the “pull-out” method or coitus interruptus, is a form of birth control where one partner removes their penis from the other partner’s vagina and away from their partner’s genitals before they ejaculate, which usually happens at or around the time of orgasm. In most healthy individuals, ejaculatory fluid (also known as “cum”) contains enough sperm to potentially get someone pregnant. By withdrawing, sperm should theoretically never reach their partner’s egg and pregnancy is not possible. No sperm, no problem.
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Is the pull out method effective for preventing pregnancy?
The withdrawal method is generally not considered a very effective form of birth control. Out of every 100 people using only withdrawal as birth control, an estimated 20 to 27 of them will get pregnant within one year (1, 2). Even with theoretical “perfect-use”, an estimated 4 out 100 people would get pregnant within one year, but it can be difficult to use this method perfectly (1,2). Given that the withdrawal method should theoretically work (no sperm, no problem, right?), why do we see such high rates of pregnancy using this method?
One reason is that the withdrawal method is difficult for some to use. It can be easy to forget to withdraw in the moment, or someone may not realize they are about to ejaculate and withdraws too late (1,2). Withdrawing correctly, every time, requires a high degree of control and self-awareness from the withdraw-er, as well as a lot of trust from the withdraw-ee: the control of this method’s use is fully in the hands of one person, and there is no way to tell if it’s been practiced correctly after the fact.
Can I get pregnant from that?
There are lots of myths and misconceptions about how pregnancy happens.
A second, commonly-claimed, reason is that sperm may be present in pre-ejaculatory fluid, “precum” (3). Precum is released before cum as lubrication for sex and to help balance the acidity in urethra since the male urethra is used for both urination and for transmitting sperm. Whether precum contains sperm and whether that sperm could actually get someone pregnant are under-researched questions, and the results among studies don’t always agree (3-8). The short answer is yes, precum can release sperm, but this might not be the case for every person.
Is there sperm in precum (pre-ejaculate fluid)?
As of Spring 2019, there were only five studies looking at the sperm content of precum fluid. In two of these studies, none of the participants had sperm in their precum (6,7). In the other three studies, between 16 and 41 percent of participants had sperm in their precum (3–5). In these studies, the amount of sperm was low and not all of the sperm may have been able to fertilize an egg (3–5), but there would still be a risk of pregnancy.
There are a few reasons as to why the studies don’t agree. In one study, the researchers found that people who produced sperm in precum always had sperm in their precum, while people who didn’t produce sperm in their precum never did (3). Given that the sample sizes for all studies were small (all had less than 45 participants), it’s possible that, by random chance, some studies didn’t include participants that had sperm in their precum. Also, research methods and the laboratory tools used by the study differed, such that it’s possible sperm was destroyed in some cases, and therefore unable to be examined (3).
It’s a commonly reported idea that sperm in precum is “left-over” sperm from previous ejaculations and that if a person urinates prior to sex, they won’t have sperm in their precum (3). This doesn’t seem to be true.
In the study where 41% of participants had sperm in their precum, the researchers stated that all participants had urinated prior to giving their precum sample (3). This means that the sperm that was present in their precum was “new” sperm or, less likely, that urinating doesn’t entirely clear the urethra of sperm from previous ejaculate.
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No sperm, no pregnancy, no problem?
The withdrawal method of birth control is popular, most likely because it’s free and doesn’t require pre-planning (you don’t need a prescription or need to go to the store ahead of time), but its use varies by age, race/ethnicity, and country (9,10). Also, it’s not more popular than other methods. In the United States, 6 in 10 women will use withdrawal at least once in their lifetime, but about 9 in 10 will use condoms at least once (9). In Europe, use of only the withdrawal method (without any other form of birth control) varies from about 1 out of 100 people to 33 out of 100 people, depending on the country, while intrauterine devices (IUDs) are used by 9 out of 100 to 24 out of 100 people (10). Also, not all people using the withdrawal method are using only this method; many use it in conjunction with condoms, spermicide and/or periodic abstinence (i.e. not having sex during specific times) (9,10).
Withdrawal can be an effective form of birth control for some people. Partners for whom withdrawal will work best are partners:
- Who know their bodies’ signs of an upcoming ejaculation,
- Who are self-disciplined enough to withdraw despite temptations not to
- Who trust one another to use the method as agreed, and communicate any errors
- And who do not produce sperm in their precum.
Although the first three conditions are things a person may be able to learn and work on, it’s impossible to tell without laboratory tests if a person has sperm in their precum.
Of course, pregnancy isn’t the only thing a person needs to worry about when it comes to sex. Even if a person doesn’t have sperm in their precum, precum can transmit human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) (1,6,7) and potentially other sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
If you’re thinking of using withdrawal with your partner(s), it’s a good idea to think about how comfortable you would be with a potential pregnancy and to get tested for STIs prior to use. If you and your partner(s) have both received clean laboratory tests for STIs (which is the only way for a sexually active person to know they and their partner don’t have an STI, since many STIs don’t have noticeable symptoms) and are okay with a potential pregnancy, then the withdrawal method might be a good fit for you. For extra protection, you could buy emergency contraception ahead of time and have it ready in your home in case the withdraw-er doesn’t pull out in time.
If you and/or your partner absolutely don’t want to get pregnant at this time (or at any time) and don’t know your STI status, the withdrawal method is probably not a good fit for you.
Regardless of what method of contraception or STI prevention you chose to use, you can use Clue to track your sex habits, signs of pregnancy, and symptoms of STIs.
Article was originally published on November 22, 2017.
