Ask a doctor on the topic of Gynecology

Pregnancy risk from pre-ejaculate during petting

July 25, 2013 | 20,00 EUR | answered by Dr. med. Kathrin Hamann

I engaged in petting with my girlfriend during her fertile days, during which I rubbed my penis against her vagina. I did not penetrate her. I did not ejaculate either, and I did not have any prior to that day. It is not certain if there was a pre-ejaculate present. My girlfriend does not use contraception.

There is a lot of information on the internet regarding pre-ejaculate, with conflicting opinions. Forums also have varying views on the matter. While some forums, with doctors involved, claim that there is only a minimal risk if pre-ejaculate is directly inserted, and no risk if it is only applied externally to the vagina, the abundance of information online has made me unsure if this statement is accurate. Especially since the credibility of the sources is uncertain.

Therefore, I would like to know your assessment of the likelihood of pregnancy in the situation described, and if the statement above from the forums is accurate. Is there a realistic risk of pregnancy if only a pre-ejaculate potentially enters the vagina through external rubbing without any penetration of the penis?

Since we are both no longer teenagers, I would appreciate a well-informed response.

Thank you for your assistance.

Dr. med. Kathrin Hamann

Good day,

I am happy to help you further.

In general, the pre-ejaculate carries a risk of pregnancy. However, this risk cannot be quantified exactly. It is extremely low.
If you did not have an ejaculation 24 hours before petting and have urinated since then, there is definitely no fertilizable sperm in the pre-ejaculate.
While there may be isolated sperm cells in the pre-ejaculate, they only survive outside the vagina for a few seconds. In your case, there is therefore no risk of pregnancy.

I can reassure you about that.

Do you have any questions about this? I am happy to help you further.

Sincerely,

Dr. K. Hamann