Q
Can I get pregnant the first time I have sex?

Yes! You can get pregnant the first time, the second time, or any other time you have sex. It does not matter how many times you have sex or the position in which you have it, you can still get pregnant.

Q
Can douching after intercourse prevent pregnancy?

No. Douching will not prevent pregnancy; it only pushes the sperm up the vagina usually during sexual intercourse and fertilize one of her egg cells.

Q
My boyfriend told me that if he pulls out before he ejaculates, I can’t get pregnant. Is that true?

No! Some sperm are released before ejaculation – and it only takes one sperm to fertilize an egg. A fluid called pre-cum or pre-ejaculate comes out of the penis long before it’s time to ejaculate and each drop has 20-40 thousand sperm. Even if the penis is removed from the vagina well before ejaculation, the pre-ejaculate that is left inside has enough sperm to cause pregnancy.

Q
Can Vaseline prevent pregnancy?

No. Vaseline does not contain anything to kill sperm, so it is not a contraceptive. Also, Vaseline collects bacteria, is too thick and greasy and is hard to wash off.

Q
Can a girl get pregnant from swallowing semen?

No. the only way a woman can get pregnant is if sperm cells enter her vagina, usually during sexually intercourse and fertilize one of her egg cells.

Q
Can a girl get pregnant if she has sexual intercourse standing up?

Yes. Sperm does not care what position you are in. Any time the semen comes in contact with the vagina, s girl may get pregnant. There are no exceptions to that rule. There are no safe positions or safe times for having sexual intercourse without risking pregnancy.

Q
How old is a woman before she’s too old to have a baby?

Women stop having babies when they’ve gone through menopause. Menopause is the time in a woman’s life when her ovaries stop producing a ripe ovum each month and she stops having her menstrual periods. It happens between ages forty-five and fifty-five for most women, though for some, it could be earlier or later.

Q
I get confused when people use the terms identical and fraternal twins. Please could you explain the difference between the two?

Identical twins are twins who look exactly alike. They are formed when an egg cell is fertilized by a sperm cell and then the fertilized egg cell splits exactly in half to produce two identical children. Identical twins are always the same sex and have the same blood types. They usually share the same placenta (the special organ which enables a developing baby to get nourishment from its mother and to eliminate waste matter). Fraternal twins on the other hand, results when more than one egg is released from the ovaries during ovulation and each egg is fertilized by a sperm. Two embryos are formed, which will then develop into two babies. They do not share the same placenta, may not look alike and may have different blood types. They also may be either the same sex or different sexes.

Q
I haven’t started having periods yet. Can I have sex without worrying about getting pregnant?

No! Because you ovulate before you start your period, you can get pregnant before you ever have your first period.

Q
Why are some babies girls and some boys?

The sex of a baby depends on the father’s sperm. Some sperm have X-chromosome, which means they are capable of uniting with an ovum and making a female baby. Other sperm have Y-chromosome, which means that they are capable of uniting with an ovum and making a male baby. So, if a sperm contains Y-chromosome and fertilizes the ovum, the baby will be a boy, if on the other hand it contains X-chromosome, the baby will be a girl. From this, we can see that it is the man who determines the sex of the baby and not the woman, as some people believe.

Q
If I miss my period, does that mean that I’m pregnant?

Not necessarily. When girls start having periods, they often have irregular cycles and may even skip a month from time to time. However, if a girl has had sexual intercourse and she misses a period, she could be pregnant. She should see a doctor right away.