Having your period when you have sex doesn't guarantee you won't get pregnant. Find out why by watching this video featuring sex therapist Sari Cooper.
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You can definitely become pregnant during your period for a couple of different reasons. One is some women have erratic cycles, so they can't really predict when their ovulation is, and so you may be ovulating and your egg is still seed-viable for 24 hours and a man's sperm can stay viable inside your body for four to five days, so you may not be cognisent of the fact that you actually are ovulating.
The other thing that can happen is women tend to spot sometimes, and sometimes they misinterpret spotting as their period when in fact they're still in the middle of their cycle. So, you should definitely use protection if you don't want to get pregnant, take the same precautions you would if you weren't having your period not only for pregnancy, but also for STDs.
Sari Cooper is a licensed individual and couples psychotherapist, as well as a certified sex therapist. She has been helping individuals and couples overcome their emotional, psychological and sexual issues for more than 20 years.
