Health Topics
Menstrual Cycle & Fertility
Online Birth Control Education
Menstrual Cycle & Fertility
The time during the menstrual cycle when a woman is potentially most fertile depends on the life span of sperm as well as the life span of the egg. While an egg lives for about 24 hours, a man’s sperm can live inside a woman’s body generally up to five days and possibly up to seven days. Although the total number of days in a woman’s cycle may vary, ovulation usually occurs 14-16 days before the onset of the next menstrual period. For women who have regular cycles between 26-32 days, pregnancy is most likely to occur between days 8-19 of the menstrual cycle.
It is more difficult to predict ovulation in women with irregular periods and therefore some women may become pregnant at any time of the cycle. In women with regular cycles, knowing when ovulation is most likely to occur can help to both plan and prevent pregnancy.
Online Birth Control Education |
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last reviewed: Spring 2005