Sexuality & Sexual Health

She Can't Be Pregnant, Can She?

Published: November 20, 2019

Dear TeenHealthFX,

So my gf gave me a handjob, I didn't come on her hands, she went home, washed her hands , and in about an hour or more she fingered herself. Her period is late and she has common cold. She's been tired for a day or two. She can't be pregnant can she ? She wasn't on any pill

Signed: She Can't Be Pregnant, Can She?

Dear She Can't Be Pregnant, Can She?,

TeenHealthFX thanks you for asking your question. Generally, for pregnancy to happen there needs to be sexual intercourse and/or sperm cells around the vaginal area. We encourage you learn more about how pregnancy occurs by clicking here.

The American Pregnancy Association explains, once sperm is dry it cannot result in a pregnancy. Sperm needs a warm, moist environment to stay viable. You mention an hour in between the two circumstances and that your girlfriend washed her hands. Healthline explains that a chance of pregnancy is highly unlikely. It may just be a coincidence that her period is late due to the common cold.

TeenHealthFX would like to mention that if your girlfriend does not get her period in the next week or two to take an at home pregnancy test and talk to a parent/guardian about what is going on. In addition, it would be best to follow up with a doctor just to be sure.

We would also like to mention the importance of practicing safe sex. TeenHealthFX encourages all teens to use condoms every time they engage in any type of sexual activity. Condoms are 98% in preventing pregnancy and the transmission of sexually transmitted infections when used correctly and on every sexual encounter.

If you need help finding a doctor and live in northern New Jersey, you can call the Adolescent/Young Adult Center for Health at 973-971-5199 for an appointment with an adolescent medicine specialist.

Signed: TeenHealthFX

Ratings

Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death in the US among people aged 10-14 ¹

Suicide is the 3rd leading cause of death in the US among people aged 15-24 ²

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15.6 teenage girls for every 1,000 will give birth to a baby before they are 20 years old. ⁴

Only 6% of high school students get tested for STDs ⁵

1/3 of high school students who were currently sexually active used effective hormonal birth control the last time they had sex with an opposite-sex partner ⁶

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2.14 million middle and high school students currently vape ⁸

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Almost 40% of high school students have reported using marijuana at least once. ¹⁰

83.88% of 12- to 17-year-olds have reported using marijuana within the last month. ¹¹

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5.9 million teens have reported to drink at least once in the past month. ¹³

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The risk of motor vehicle crashes is higher among 16- to 19-year-olds than any other age group. ¹⁷

49% of the youth report having less than 3 friends in 2022 ¹⁸

^{2.7 million youth report experiencing severe major depression}¹⁹

Over 3.3 million teens will be graduating from high school in the year 2023-2024 ²⁰

The average social media screen time for teens is 7 hours and 22 minutes per day ²¹