Expert Q&A

	By Linda Given-Welch, CNM Linda Given Welch Certified Nurse Midwife Women's Health Specialists, Chicago

I am 19 years old. My boyfriend and I have been fondling and petting around with each other for quite some time. In other words, we do not have any actual sex or sexual intercourse and I am still a virgin. My boyfriend has ejaculated into his underwear. Could I be pregnant? Can my boyfriend's semen or sperm penetrate me through liquid flow?

The answer is YES! Couples not using any birth control can and do become pregnant without actual penile penetration into the vagina.

Sperm contained within a man's ejaculate is alive and very mobile. If the semen comes into direct contact with the vagina there is a CHANCE you could become pregnant depending on the proximity of the semen/penis to the vagina. There is a higher likelihood of pregnancy if the penis is close to the vagina than if he ejaculates in his underwear while lying on top of his partner. Using a condom at all times during the scenario you described could greatly decrease the chance of both pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.

As many as 50% of all pregnancies in this country are unplanned. As a young woman making decisions that will affect the rest of your life, I urge you to make an appointment as soon as possible with a health care provider to discuss reproductive health care options (Planned Parenthood is a good source if you do not have a health care provider or student health clinic available to you). Abstinence remains the best form of birth control. If you do not choose this option, you need to discuss topics such as birth control methods, prevention of sexually transmitted diseases and emergency contraception TODAY with a nurse practitioner, nurse-midwife or physician."

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