Question about pregnancy?

[Mediapd]

Earlier this month me and my girlfriend had sex twice, both time with condom and I didn’t ejaculate at all, also we track her cycle and it was at the very beginning of a safe week like right after her period, she’s coming up to her period now and usually she gets pretty bad PMS like emotionally but as far as I know she’s had no symptoms, I know I’m probably just really anxious and we’ve already talked about it and we’re gonna abstain until we both feel more comfortable, but is there a real risk here? Obviously all PIV has like a little risk but I really need reassurance here.

[CaitlinEve]

Hi Mediapd!

From what you've described (sex with a barrier and no ejaculation), it sounds like there is little to no 'real' risk of pregnancy at this time. Other factors can affect menstrual cycles, such as stress, which could explain the lack of symptoms.

[Mediapd]

She’s a cross country runner and just recently doubled her mileage, could that be a reason? I’m pretty sure she’s a little stressed too, due to her being in a strict household

[CaitlinEve]

Yes, diet and exercise can also play a role in menstruation. Doubling mileage is a lot, so I'm definitely inclined to believe that is what has affected her! Running, particularly, has a documented effect on someone's cycle and there are communities online where your girlfriend may find specific advice related to exercise and menstruation changes (such as the xxfitness subreddit)!

[Mediapd]

Thank you!!! She eats well but that’s probably a direct cause, I think for the last 2 months due to like her kind of rapidly increasing and decreasing her training it’s caused her cycle to prolong but I’m not 100% sure if that’s how it works, still obviously not a great feeling when she’s late yk, but we just decided it’s best for us to refrain from PIV for the time being anyway

[Sam W]

Hi Mediapd,

I think making that choice to refrain from vaginal sex is a really sound one! Too, something to know for the future is that depending on what she's using to track her cycle, her sense of when her period is due may not be all that accurate; a lot of the apps out there still don't ask for all the information needed to chart effectively.