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Answers for Women: Am I Pregnant After Dry Sex, Making Out with Clothes On?

 
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We are glad you found EmpowHER! A common question has been asked: Am I pregnant if I make out with a boy, while wearing clothes? Can I be pregnant without penetration (intercourse)?

There is so much misinformation about sex, and usually the limited information that is given resorts to using scare tactics, so much to where young women are afraid that when they merely look at a boy, or touch a towel that a boy has touched, that this could result in pregnancy!

Please know that becoming pregnant does not just "occur". Sperm must somehow enter the vagina in order to conceive; genitals must touch other genitals, or ejaculatory fluid must come into contact with a woman's vulva. Otherwise, there is no risk of pregnancy.

If you are wearing clothes or otherwise "making out", a congratulations is in order, as you are engaging in "safer sex" practices, which means you were able to express your physical or sexual feelings without putting yourself at increased risk for pregnancy. You can find more information below that pertains to your specific situation, based on our most commonly asked questions.

I missed my period and must be pregnant after making out or being sexual with my partner.
Late Period Fact: It is common for women to be late --or even miss a period entirely--for no "apparent" reason. Our ovulation and menstrual cycles do vary from month-to-month, and can change due to recent illness, new medication, excess stress. There are also medical reasons that women may stop menstruating, and can be evaluated by your doctor (doctors are not usually concerned if you are not experiencing any problematic symptoms until you have missed three periods in-a-row, called amenorrhea).

I am afraid of pregnancy because I did sexual things with my partner while wearing clothes, and I read that women can still become pregnant since clothes and cotton are porous (have holes).
Clothing Fact: Yes, our clothing, and specifically our cotton underwear, are porous. and, it is true that sperm are strong swimmers, but they can't swim through clothes. Sperm are strong swimmers only in liquid: specifically semen and vaginal secretions. Outside the bod, sperm are actually very fragile. Once semen is absorbed into the fabric of your clothes, they die.

Please know in regards to wearing clothes during physical intimacy: what is possible is some ejaculate could spill over the underwear, around the panty line, and possibly get near the vagina. Men's underwear that are not form-fitting can "leak" sperm, so the important thing to remember when "wearing" clothes: they are actually covering up your genitals, the underwear is not pushed to the side, and no fluid is leaking from the side of the underwear.

"Dry Humping" Fact: The term used when you are "going through the motions" of sex and rubbing bodies together, while wearing clothing is called "Outercourse" or "dry humping" because there are no bodily fluids (vaginal secretions or semen) that come into contact with your or your partner's genitals. Click on hyperlink to read more about Outercourse.

I touched some semen on the bed sheet, and want to know if I could get pregnant from this
Sperm Fact: Sperm can live three to five days when inside a woman's vagina during her most fertile time. Sperm can only live when they are in a liquid - like semen or in vaginal fluids- and do not survive long outside the body (including on sheets, towels, etc).

I made out with my boyfriend, and any possible sperm that got in me was quickly washed away after I went to the bathroom.
"Washing Away" Semen Fact: Showers do not wash out sperm that is already inside the vagina, same with urinating, as the urine would only wash away what is inside the urinary tract (semen would have entered into a separate opening, your vagina, and not your urethra).

I have wet spots from my partner's "cum" on the inside of my underwear and jeans, even though we were both wearing clothes.
Self-Lubrication Fact: Your being "wet" could be from your own lubrication, as your partner's semen would most likely not penetrate through multiple layers of clothing (and it would not be able to get you pregnant; see above). Any wetness is from your own vaginal secretions and is perfectly normal when you are sexually aroused.

We hope these answers to the most commonly asked questions were helpful for you and your specific situation! If you are ever in doubt, please talk with your health care provider about birth control options if you choose to be sexually active, and wear a condom during sexual activity (even if penetration or intercourse is not planned). Continue making safer sex choices!

Add a Comment280 Comments

Guide (reply to Anonymous)

Hello Anonymous,

There was no risk of pregnancy because you were both wearing bottoms.

Maryann

May 2, 2017 - 9:48am
EmpowHER Guest
Anonymous

i had a sperm on my left hand i went to the bathroom to clean it with a wet wipe using my right hand i am not sure if somehow i touched some sperm with my right hand lets say yes but then i touched my girls clothes rubbing my hands from her clothes then i was rubbing my hands on her underwear and then after that i fingered her can she be pregnant? im pretty sure that the sperm should be dried or not on my fingers but im not sure answer me please

April 24, 2017 - 8:41am
Guide (reply to Anonymous)

Hello Anonymous,

If at least twenty minutes had passed, the semen should have been dried, and certainly any sperm was dead.

Maryann

May 2, 2017 - 9:47am
EmpowHER Guest
Anonymous

Hey,

My gf and I was having some fun like 2 days after her period and we kiss each other on the missionary position which my penis may rub her pussy and I'm with my pyjamas pants on but without panties inside and she's naked. There's some pre cum and I urinate before this. Then after that, we're having sex with condom on and after I pull out and I cum with the condom still on. I've checked the condom by filling water into it for like 6-7 times and there's no single leak on the condom which means that there's guarantee no hole on the condom.

Then, we slept and on the morning we had some fun again and this time the process still the same, just I dint urinate since my last ejaculation and we kissed again with missionary position on and I may rub her pussy by my
Penis and with my
Pyjamas pants on but without panties and she's naked and there may be some pre cum. Then, we have sex with condom on and after that I pull out and cum with my condom still on. And then, I fill the water again for like 6-7 times and to make sure there's no hole on the condom.

So, in this case, is there any risk that she's going to be pregnant ?

April 18, 2017 - 8:12pm
Guide (reply to Anonymous)

Hello Anonymous,

There should not have been any risk during intercourse because you wore a condom and it did not fail.

However, during the second go round, without urinating, sperm could have been in your pre ejaculate fluid, No risk as long as no pre ejaculate fluid can in contact with your girlfriend's vagina.

Regards,
Maryann

April 20, 2017 - 9:18am
EmpowHER Guest
Anonymous

i ejaculated in my underwear then went to the bathroom and cleared it with a wet wipe can somehow sperm go trough the wipe on my fingers and then i fingered my gf can she be pregnant?(also when i was going from the bathroom to the room where she was i touched the door to open it touched the bed and at first i rubbed my fingers on her clothes and after that i fingered her) can she be preg?

April 18, 2017 - 7:52am
Guide (reply to Anonymous)

Hello Anonymous,

There probably was semen on the wet wipe if you used it to wipe up the ejaculate in your pants.

The semen should have stayed on the side of the wipe used to clean it off.

Sperm can live outside the body for about 20 minutes. If any semen got on the door, once it dried, sperm was dead.

Only you know what happened and with these facts, you can answer if there was any risk for pregnancy.

Regards,
Maryann

April 20, 2017 - 9:15am
EmpowHER Guest
Anonymous (reply to Maryann Gromisch RN)

i never had semen on my hand my question was can the semen from the side on the wipe which i cleaned can somehow the sperm go trough it and get to my fingers also i was trying to say that if any semen got from the wipe to my hands it probably would get off my hands because i touched the door and firstly i was touching my girls clothes then fingering her so the semen should dried off

April 20, 2017 - 10:37am
Guide (reply to Anonymous)

Hello Anonymous,

No. The sperm in the semen could not travel through the wipe to the other side.

Most likely there was some semen on the door and her clothing. Once the semen has dried, sperm is dead.

Regards,
Maryann

April 21, 2017 - 9:39am
EmpowHER Guest
Anonymous (reply to Maryann Gromisch RN)

so if somehow semen got trough the wipe and i got semen on my fingers when i was rubbing her clothes it should dried off and the sperm should be dead and then after that when i fingered her she could not get pregnant right?

April 22, 2017 - 8:31am
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