What are the chances of getting pregnant while following the withdrawal method for family planning?

Question

Hello doctor,

My periods got delayed. I used the withdrawal method for family planning. The home pregnancy test was negative after three weeks of unprotected sex. I have never had a delayed period, and my last period was almost two months back. Any chances of me being pregnant? Kindly help.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I can understand your concern.

Since you have no history of irregular periods and you are not on any kind of medication, there is a chance of being pregnant. The withdrawal method is the most unreliable method of birth control as even the precum can cause pregnancy as it has adequate sperm content.

In early pregnancy, sometimes home pregnancy test shows negative result as the hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) levels in certain cases do not rise so quickly, or the conception is delayed, or the person performing the test does it with some mistake. So I would suggest repeating the urine pregnancy test with the first urine of the day tomorrow, following the guidelines written on the package, especially for the timing part of the test.

I would also suggest getting a blood hCG test done for an accurate result.

Once the test is done properly, we can be sure of the result and decide the future management of either for pregnancy or delayed period.