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Think you might be pregnant?

11:03am Wednesday 2nd December 2009 content supplied by

Finding out you're pregnant can be daunting, especially if the pregnancy was unplanned.

Scroll down to watch a video about teenage pregnancy

You may feel a lot of different emotions, thoughts and anxieties. You may be excited about the prospect of having a child, you could be worried about telling your parents, or you may not be sure if you want to have the baby.

These mixed emotions are common for women of any age. Remember that you're not alone, and there are plenty of people who can help you.

Make sure you're pregnant

The first thing you need to do is make sure you're definitely pregnant. Home pregnancy test kits are usually accurate, but it is best to visit your GP or Community Contraceptive Clinic. They can check for pregnancy by testing your urine.

If you are pregnant, they can tell you how long you've been pregnant, and assess your general health (for example, checking whether your blood pressure and weight are healthy).

It's your choice

Once you've found out you're pregnant, think carefully about what is best for you. If you're not sure what to do, remember that it's your choice. You must make the decision that is right for you. But don't delay this decision.

Don't ignore the situation and hope it will go away, because it won't. Everybody is different, so try not to let other people push you into a decision.

Take time to think carefully, talk to people you trust, and get advice from a professional. People you can talk to include:

Your GP or nurse.
A contraception and sexual health clinic.
A young people's service. Get details of young people's services from Brook on www.brook.org.uk or 0800 0185 023, or from Sexwise at www.ruthinking.co.uk or 0800 28 29 30.
Your partner or a friend or family member who you trust.
fpa (formerly the Family Planning Association) on 0845 122 8690.

Find out what your choices are. You need to have accurate information so that you can talk about your options and think carefully before you make any decisions.

Call NHS Direct on 0845 4647 for information and advice.

Pregnancy myths

I can’t get pregnant just after my period has finished.
If you don't use contraception when you have sex, you can get pregnant at any time during your menstrual cycle, even while you have your period. You can also get pregnant if you've never had a period before, or if it's your first period or the first time you have had sex.

There is no safe time of the month when you can have sex without contraception and not get pregnant.

However, there are times of the month when you're more fertile (likely to get pregnant) than others. Ovulation (when eggs are released from your ovaries) usually occurs 10-16 days before the start of your next period, and this is when you're most likely to get pregnant.

You're therefore much less likely to get pregnant if you have sex just after your period has finished. But it's important to remember that sperm can survive in the body for up to seven days after ejaculation.

If your period lasts seven days, when it finishes you may be five days away from ovulating again. If you ovulate early, then there will be even less time between the end of your last period and the time when you're fertile again.

Natural family planning is when a couple uses the woman's menstrual cycle as a form of contraception (that is, by not having sex during fertile times). However, this is not a reliable method as sperm can survive for up to seven days inside the body. This method also doesn't protect you from sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

You can't get pregnant without penetration.
Pregnancy occurs when a male's sperm burrows into a female egg (fertilisation). This sperm is one of millions that are contained in a man's semen (the liquid produced when a man ejaculates or 'comes'). The egg is released from one of the woman's ovaries (ovulation) 12 to 15 days before her next period starts.

Millions of sperm are also contained in the liquid produced by the penis as soon as it is erect (hard). This means that a man doesn't have to ejaculate for pregnancy to occur.

Sperm enters the woman's body through the vagina, then travels through the cervix and the womb to the fallopian tubes, where the egg is fertilised.

It is possible for a woman to get pregnant without having sexual intercourse (penetration) if any sperm gets into the vagina. For example, a woman can get pregnant if there is sperm on her fingers and she puts them into her vagina.

However, the chances of becoming pregnant in this way are very small because sperm can only live for a very short period of time outside the human body (a few minutes if it's left to dry out, or a few hours if wet).

Pregnancy can also happen if the man ejaculates close to the entrance of the vagina, or if his erect penis comes into contact with the woman's body near the vagina.

The chance of getting pregnant in this way is much smaller than having penetrative sex. But in some cases, it is possible to get pregnant this way.

If you think sperm could come in contact with the vagina in any way, the best way to avoid pregnancy is to use contraception. Only condoms can provide protection against both pregnancy and STIs. The condom must be put on the penis as soon as it is erect to prevent any sperm from coming into contact with the vagina.