Chances of conception without penetration

Question: Is it possible for a woman to get pregnant if the man's sperm spilled on her organism? S. (India)

Answer: I am assuming what you mean by ‘organism’ is the woman’s private parts, that is; the vulva. If that is so then the answer is definitely yes. It is entirely possible for pregnancy to result from the contact of semen and a woman’s external genitalia. Live spermatozoa can find their way into the vagina and if all other conditions are favourable, conception and pregnancy might result.

Early pregnancy symptoms

Question: I suffered a miscarriage 18 months ago. I had a positive pregnancy test result two weeks ago and, although breasts have been slightly sore, have no symptoms, I have two children and with both have suffered morning sickness, I am roughly around 7 weeks and am sure the sickness had started before now, does this mean that something is wrong with this pregnancy also? L.L. (UK)

Answer: I do understand the anxiety you are bound to have with your recent history. I don’t want to sound dismissive but there is every possibility that there is nothing at all wrong with the pregnancy. Symptoms of early pregnancy can vary significantly from one pregnancy to another. However, you are unlikely to relax until you have the proof. That will be an ultrasound scan. I’m sure your GP will be understanding if you were to request an expedited referral to have this done in view of your history of miscarriage not so long ago.

Effective treatment for stretch-marks:

Question: Hi; This is **** for the second time. I have contacted you about stretch marks before. I don’t get any kind of medicine. I heard something in the doctors’ show that stretch marks are scars,and i know that there is medicine that can make scars disappear so are u going to recommend it for me to use and what is that medicine? R.I. (Ethiopia)

Answer: I am sorry to have to disappoint you but there is no such preparation in existence. There are many remedies advertised which are claimed to prevent stretch-marks from developing. I can tell you now that there is no shred of evidence that any of them actually work.

After the stretch-marks have developed, they cannot be eliminated. There is no ‘cure’ for stretch marks. However, there are some fairly effective masking preparation which need to be applied regularly. Sorry to be a bearer of bad news but that is the reality of the stretch-marks situation.

Starting contraception after delivery

Question: I am 6 weeks post natal & due my period any day. When should i start the contraceptive pill; before my period or when it starts? C.B. (Ireland)

Answer: In the post-delivery period, once you start having unprotected sex, especially if you are not breast-feeding, you could conceive. This is because ovulation can re-commence within 4 weeks of the birth. Your guide should therefore be the resumption of sexual activity rather than the menstruation. If you are concerned about disruption to the cycle with the combined pill, then use barrier methods until the commencement of your period when you can start the pill. Strictly speaking however, that is not really necessary.

Two consecutive miscarriages

Question: I have had two miscarriages in the same way and no one gives me any answers and i don’t know what to do. please help me. A.S. (Australia)

Answer: I am sorry to hear of your sad news. Pregnancy loss is always traumatic and having two consecutive miscarriages can be hard to bear. I cannot, however, pretend to have concrete answers to your profound question with such brief information. Whatever I say will be general and cannot be specific to your situation.

Issues that your doctor may need to know include your age, whether you have any significant medical history (diabetes, lupus, recurrent thrombosis, epilepsy etc.), stage at which miscarriages occurred (early trimester, mid-trimester etc.), type of miscarriage (blighted ovum, missed miscarriage etc.) All these and more are important to try to get to the bottom of an individual’s situation. I need to add, however, that two miscarriages do not necessarily mean you are prone to this. It may just be a tragic coincidence. There is, of-course, more detail on the subject on the relevant section of this site.

Split condom and pregnancy

Question: I’m hoping you can help. Last week my boyfriend and myself had sex, unfortunatley the condom split, and i took the morning after pill the next day. However, 6 days on and very near my next period date, i have started to bleed very lightly and i was wondering of this could be a sign I’m pregnant? or is it the pill making me mess up? I’m very worried. H.S. (UK)

Answer: A split or ruptured condom is, by all intents and purposes, a failed barrier contraception. It is similar to using nothing at all. Effectiveness of emergency contraception, if taken in the recommended optimum time is very effective. In any case, you do not get pregnancy signs or symptoms so quickly after conception if that had taken place. What’s more, what you have described is not a feature of early pregnancy. I think it is safe to say you can relax.