What a bummer
Question
I had anal sex for the first time the other night, but we didn't use a condom. He pulled out before he came and I washed myself afterwards with water and dried myself with a clean towel but I'm worried some semen could have got into my vagina. Could I be pregnant?
I'm a virgin so I reckon that because my hymen isn't broken the chances are virtually nil but I just need to know for sure.
Answer
Having unprotected anal sex may put you at risk of pregnancy if sperm comes into contact with the vagina in any way.
The penis leaks a few drops of semen (liquid containing sperm) as soon as it is hard, so there is a risk of pregnancy if the penis comes into contact with the vagina, even if your partner doesn't ejaculate. This is why it is important for the man to wear a condom as soon as the penis is erect. In addition, the hymen only covers part of the vaginal opening leaving a gap for menstrual blood to come out so there's still a risk even if your hymen hasn't broken.
If this happened within the last five days and you don't want to become pregnant, it might be a good idea to seek advice on emergency contraception as soon as possible. If it was more than five days ago, you will need to wait until your period is due to take a test. If you don't have a regular cycle, it is best to take a test three weeks after the event you've written about. You can get a free test at your local Brook Centre (under 25s) or your local family planning clinic.
Having unprotected anal sex (or any other unprotected sexual activity) can also put you at risk of contracting a sexually transmitted infection (STI). To reduce the risk of infection it's important to use a condom. Extra strong condoms are usually recommended for anal sex. You can also use a water-based lubricant to make anal sex easier but make sure you don't use Vaseline or anything that contains oil as this can rot condoms.
If you're worried that you may have an infection, you can get advice and testing at a genito-urinary medicine (GUM) clinic.
Updated: 25/05/2005
Question answered by YouthNet in association with Brook
