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For pregnancy to happen there needs to be:

  • an egg from the body of a person with a vulva/vagina
  • sperm (ejaculate) from the body of a person with a penis
  • cervical mucus from the body of a person with a vulva/vagina
  • sexual activity

The process looks like this:

  1. When an egg is released from an ovary it travels through the fallopian tubes.
  2. Meanwhile, hormones in the body change the cervical mucus. This means that sperm can easily pass through the opening of the cervix and into the uterus and fallopian tubes.
  3. Once inside the fallopian tube, a sperm may come together and “fertilize” the egg.
  4. The fertilized egg will move down the fallopian tube to the uterus.
  5. If the fertilized egg implants in the uterine wall, this is when a pregnancy happens.

Sexual activity that could cause a pregnancy includes:

  • Vaginal intercourse (penis inside the vagina)
  • Anal intercourse (penis inside the anus) – ejaculate (sperm) could come in contact with the vulva (outside of the body of a person with a vulva/vagina)
  • Sexual activities where ejaculate comes in contact with the vulva

Knowing how pregnancy happens can help someone take the right steps for them to avoid pregnancy, whether that is choosing birth control or choosing sexual activities that have a lower chance of pregnancy.

Understanding how pregnancy happens can help someone increase their chances of becoming pregnant if that is something they want. Fertility awareness models help someone track their menstrual cycle to understand on which days of the month they are most likely to become pregnant. Everyone’s cycle and body is different, so it can take many cycles to accurately predict when you are most likely to become pregnant.