Can you get pregnant from being fingered?
Emily Gulla
WriterIs it possible to get pregnant from being fingered? You might not think so, but the answer is quite surprising. Here's everything you need to know about getting pregnant from being fingered, and how to prevent it from happening.
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Getting pregnant can certainly be unpredictable, and there are some surprising ways to get pregnant that you might not have thought about before. So, if you're wondering whether it's possible to get pregnant from being fingered, this is what you need to know.
Can you get pregnant from being fingered?
The short answer is: yes.
If you or your partner have semen or pre-ejaculate on your fingers and then touch your vagina, then it's possible for some sperm to get into your vagina and for you to get pregnant.
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However, the NHS says that the risk of getting pregnant in this way is very low, because sperm can only live outside the body for a short amount of time. Still, that doesn't mean it's impossible.
As well as sperm entering your vagina from yours or your partner's fingers, the NHS also adds that it's possible to get pregnant if your partner ejaculates near your vagina, or if their erect penis comes into contact with your body near your vagina.
So, if you don't want to get pregnant, it's important to be aware of any semen coming into contact with your body, even if not through penetrative sex.
It's impossible to get pregnant from being fingered with completely clean hands, though. And it's good practice to always wash your hands before touching your own or someone else's genitals anyway, as it reduces the risk of infection.
It may be a slight mood-killer, but it's better than an unwanted pregnancy or UTI, so always wash your hands before getting intimate; alone or with a partner.
Contraception
If you're on contraception, it's less likely that you'll get pregnant from penetrative sex or from being fingered.
Different forms of hormonal contraception include the pill, the implant, the injection, the contraceptive patch, a vaginal ring, and the hormonal coil. The copper coil is also a non-hormonal option.
If you're having penetrative sex then a barrier method like a condom or diaphragm (or cap) will also help to prevent pregnancy.
Emergency contraception
If you're not on any kind of contraception and you think semen has come into contact with your vagina, from your partner's fingers or in another way, then you can use emergency contraception.
You can take the 'morning after pill' as emergency contraception, or you can also have the copper coil inserted as emergency contraception.
However, check with your doctor or pharmacist when getting emergency contraception, as the amount of time that's passed since you had sex (or came into contact with semen) will determine its effectiveness.
Both contraception and emergency contraception are available for free on the NHS.
What are the early signs of pregnancy?
If you think some semen may have come into contact with your vagina through being fingered (or otherwise), and you're not sure whether you're pregnant, then you might want to look out for some of the really early signs of pregnancy.
It's possible to experience early pregnancy symptoms in the first few days or weeks after conceiving, and before a missed period. These can include:
- Period-type pains (but no period)
- PMS (cramping, bloating, headaches, heartburn, indigestion, feeling overly emotional)
- Brown discharge
- White discharge
- Spotting
- Sore, tender or tingling breasts
- A metallic taste in your mouth
- Tiredness
- Nausea and sickness
You can find out more about the early signs of pregnancy here.
Of course, the best way to know you're pregnant for certain is to take a pregnancy test.
When to take a pregnancy test
You'll ideally want to take a pregnancy test from the first day of your missed period. Some modern pregnancy tests claim to give accurate results before your period is due, but waiting until you've missed your period will usually give you the most reliable answer.
Find more information on how soon you can take a pregnancy test here.
Use an ovulation test kit to identify your most fertile days so you know whether there's high or low chance you'll get pregnant on a particular day. This ovulation test kit from ClearBlue adjusts every time you test according to your unique hormone profile. It comes as a set of 20 with one digital holder and it's available here at Amazon.
Looking for more information on getting pregnant? Read our articles below or share advice with others in the forum.
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