Scarleteen

So... Recently I have started to be sexually active, and I'm a little concerned. You see, I didn't have sex like vaginal intercourse, but the closest I have been to it was grinding with underwear on both of us. But although, I did my search on what could and could not get you pregnant, even here, it says that grinding or dry humping can't lead to pregnancy.

However, recently i have been feeling a little bit off. To start, I have been having nausea and stomach ache (but I think that is more related to a food intoxication than to pregnancy) and my breast have been tender.
I believe that this symptoms are not related to pregnancy. But, I don't know why, in the back of my head, I think I might be pregnant, and that leads me to be stress throughout the day.

I would love if someone could help me clear my mind, and aide me in the understanding of what will or won't cause pregnancy. Because it seem that every where I look, there are different opinions.

Hey Charliemayly753, welcome to the boards!

Dry humping or grinding does not pose any risk of pregnancy. It can be nerve-wracking to see so many different answers on the internet, and the symptoms you are describing could be a result of anxiety about pregnancy, or a completely unrelated issue, like the food intoxication you mentioned.

It's great to see that you're seeking clarity on how pregnancy works and what can cause it. Here's a couple articles with the answers you are looking for:

1) Human Reproduction: A Seafarer's Guide

2) The Pregnancy Panic Companion

Feel free to ask us any follow up questions after reading these!

Hi Aarija,

Thanks for responding, and the guides, I think they are really helpful!

However, I still have some doubts. What are the conditions not to get pregnant while dry humping? Does the two people need to at least have one piece of clothing? well I know its obvious that if you are completely naked, that increases the chances of sperm getting to the vagina.

And, What about wet clothes? Because, it happened to me that when we finished our session, I notice his underwear wet (He didn't ejaculate), and I don't remember if my underwear was in place (Like, I had it on, but I recall that it silped to the side a little bit) . Could that increase the likelihood of me getting pregnant?

Hey there Charliemayly753,

I am so glad those articles were helpful! Dry humping does not pose a risk to pregnancy as long as at least one partner is wearing fabric that covers the genitals; so, in this case, because your partner was wearing underwear, that activity does not pose a risk to pregnancy. Partial covering of the genitals (like a narrow thong) can potentially allow for fluid transfer, but in this case because your partner had on underwear too that was fully covering (just got wet, which is ok), that still counts as one layer of clothing.

Here’s another article that might be helpful to read through, it lists out different sexual activities and their corresponding pregnancy/STI risk: Can I Get Pregnant, Or Get Or Pass On An STI From That?. I hope that helps a bit.