pre-cum, birth control, and cervix questions

[Mariposa01]

Hello friends, I have some questions regarding pre-cum and b.c., and the cervix and the information surrounding them. I have looked at your articles and message board posts, and other medical websites about it, but still am confused.

1. is it possible to get pregnant from pre-cum alone? My friend's sister said there is a super super low chance of it happening but a lot of other sources say it is possible. I am confused because I know for a fact a super small amount of sperm live in precum compared to regular sperm

2. a lot of sources say sperm only live in precum if the guy has ejaculated prior, but how long does "prior" mean? Is it a few hours, the day before? I've tried to find a clear answer but can't.

3. if i never miss a b.c. dose but take it a few minutes differently everyday (5-30 minutes difference), does that ruin the dose's effectiveness? I try to take it every night at 11pm, but if I take the pill at 11:20 (I'm not perfect lol), does that ruin how well the pill will work?

4. i saw a tiktok that said if you are taking b.c. and end up pregnant, you may not know because of the placebo pills causing your fake period. Is this true? Some people online say they took b.c. and kept having periods while pregnant, and that really confuses me how that can be.

5. What is decidual bleeding and how is it different from regular pregnancy spotting?

6. How can I track my cervix throughout the month? I can never find solid info about what it means if a cervix is high and soft/ high and hard/ low and soft, etc.

Sorry this is a lot of questions at one time, but I really don't know who else to ask. I went to a super religious school which never gave sex ed and my parents hate discussing anything regarding sex and sexual health. Thank you <3

[Heather]

Hey there, booknerd, and welcome to the boards.

In the registration agreement, we ask people to first look to the main site for answers, since with 21+ years of creating information, we've already answered a lot! I'm going to give you some links to some pieces there that can at least get you started with these questions. I'm happy to follow up with you if you don't get anything, or something wasn't covered, or you just want to talk, which obviously a static article can't stand in for.

• Human Reproduction: A Seafarer's Guide
• https://www.scarleteen.com/article/advi ... _pregnancy
• https://www.scarleteen.com/article/advi ... erstanding
• https://www.scarleteen.com/the_pregnanc ... d_a_period
• Combined Oral Contraceptives (The Pill)
• Get With the Flow: All About FAM
• https://www.scarleteen.com/blog/heather ... t_to_chart

Those last bits have information on charting. Cervical position is more something for people trying to conceive than preventing pregnancy, which sounds like your concern, but it's done using a speculum and a mirror or camera, and by observing every day over a few months, you'll be able to get a sense of your own cervix and where it's at and in what condition. That said, since you're using the pill, your cervix won't have the same cycles as someone not using a hormonal method would in the first place, because you don't have times you're fertile, just times you aren't. Same goes for charting otherwise (basal body temps, cervical mucus).

[Mariposa01]

Thank you so much for replying so fast! I hadn't even thought that since I've been on birth control that my cervix patterns and location wouldn't be the same as someone who isn't on b.c. Your reply helped clear a lot up for me!

[Heather]

So glad I could help!