Can I get pregnant at any time during my menstrual cycle - even outside of my fertile days?

Yes, you can. Even with the most regular cycle, and obsessive tracking, ovulation is really difficult to pinpoint. Sperm can survive in the female reproductive system for up to five days, so this makes the time that you are fertile much broader than you may think. Anytime that you have unprotected sex, you run the risk of pregnancy.

You can get pregnant from as little as 3 weeks after having a baby. While breastfeeding can prevent ovulation, this is not an exact science and should not be viewed as a reliable method of contraception. If you are breastfeeding and do not wish to become pregnant you should use a regular contraceptive method, your GP should be able to advise you on this.

A nice idea, but in fact yes, it can happen. This is an old wives tale. Orgasms and female fertility are unrelated: you do not need to have an orgasm to release an egg, though men need to ejaculate to release sperm.

Unless you want to get pregnant, you should always use regular contraception – every time.

Even if your menstrual cycle is as regular as clockwork, ovulation is very tricky to pinpoint. Combine that with the fact that sperm can live in the female reproductive system for up to five days, and you can see how hard it is to confidently track the ‘fertile window’.

Even if you could accurately predict the fertile window and avoid having sex on the day you ovulate… we all know that sometimes things don’t go to plan or you get caught up in the moment. There’s a reason why abstinence is not a method of contraception!

Once sperm have been ejaculated into the vagina, nothing will stop them from travelling up the cervix towards the uterus and fallopian tubes. It doesn’t matter what position you have sex in, if you have sex unprotected then there is a risk of pregnancy.

Known as the ‘pull-out method’ or the ‘withdrawal method’ this is definitely not a reliable method of contraception. Not only is this move difficult to time correctly, but there is a substance known as ‘pre-cum’ released before ejaculation which can contain sperm. If pre-cum enters the vagina then you can still get pregnant.

Any woman who has gone through puberty can become pregnant after having unprotected sex.

Peeing after sex or ‘washing out the sperm’ has no contraceptive effect. When sperm is ejaculated into the vagina they travel towards the cervix and fallopian tubes – so going to the toilet, or having a wash, will not flush the sperm out.

Washing or urinating after sex is sometimes recommended to prevent cystitis or other urinary tract infections (UTIs), but it is definitely not a method of contraception.