Contraception

The chances of a woman getting pregnant as a result of having sex once, without contraception, is abound 30% at the woman’s most fertile time.

Amazing Sperm Facts

• It only takes one sperm to get a woman pregnant.

• Sperm has to get into the woman’s vagina for there to be any possibility of her getting pregnant.

• Sperm doesn’t have to get into the vagina only via the penis. A woman can get pregnant if the sperm is on someone’s fingers and they put their fingers into her vagina, or if the man ejaculates very near the entrance to her vagina.

• Sperm have a long journey to make to get to the egg, and most of them never make it. They travel from the vagina, through the cervix, up the womb and into the fallopian tubes.

• Studies show that some sperm reach the fallopian tubes in as little as 5 minutes. But most take 45 minutes or more.

• Studies in rabbits show that even if you destroy all the sperm in the vagina five minutes after ejaculation, the rabbit still gets pregnant.

• Sperm can hang around for along time – up to 85 hours or more, so a woman can get pregnant even if she has sex six days before she ovulates.

Family Planning Association

For details of local clinics, call the Contraceptive Education Service.

England - 0845 310 1334

Scotland - 0141 576 5088

N. Ireland - 02890 325488