Is pregnancy possible?
Fingering alone can’t lead to pregnancy. Sperm must come into contact with your vagina for pregnancy to be a possibility. Typical fingering won’t introduce sperm to your vagina.
However, it’s possible to become pregnant as a result of fingering in certain situations. For example, you could become pregnant if your or your partner’s fingers have pre-ejaculate or ejaculate on them and you’re fingered or you finger yourself.
Here’s what you need to know to avoid pregnancy, options for emergency contraception, and more.
Pregnancy is only possible when semen enters your vagina. One way this might happen is if your partner masturbates and then uses the same hand or hands to finger you.
If your partner washes their hands between the two acts, your risk of pregnancy is low.
Your risk is slightly higher if they don’t wash or only wipe their hands on a shirt or towel.
Although pregnancy is unlikely overall, it’s not impossible.
You could transfer sperm into your vagina by fingering yourself with a hand that has pre-ejaculate or ejaculate on it.
The same rule for your partner applies here, too: If you wash your hands between the two acts, your risk is lower than if you didn’t wash at all or if you just wiped your hands on a cloth.
Pregnancy is unlikely, but not impossible, in this situation.
As long as the ejaculate wasn’t inside your body or on your vagina, you can’t get pregnant. Ejaculate on the outside of your body isn’t a pregnancy risk.
But if your partner ejaculates near your vagina and then fingers you, they may push some of the semen into your vagina. If this happens, pregnancy is possible.
Signs and symptoms of pregnancy don’t appear overnight. In fact, you may not begin to experience any early signs or symptoms of pregnancy for several weeks after you become pregnant.
The earliest signs of pregnancy include:
- breast tenderness
- fatigue
- headaches
- mood swings
- bleeding
- cramping
- nausea
- food aversions or cravings
These are also many of the same signs and symptoms of premenstrual syndrome or your period. It may be difficult to know what you’re experiencing until your period comes — or until it doesn’t.
The chances of becoming pregnant from being fingered are slim, but it can happen. If you’re worried you may become pregnant, you have some options.
Emergency contraception (EC) can be taken up to five days after sex to prevent pregnancy.
The hormonal EC pill is most effective within the first 72 hours. You can buy it over the counter or ask your doctor to write a prescription. Depending on your insurance plan, a prescription may enable you to get the medication at little to no cost.
A copper intrauterine device (IUD) can also be used as EC. It’s more than 99 percent effective if it’s put into place within five days of sex or semen exposure.
Your doctor must place this device, so a timely appointment is necessary. Once in place, the IUD will protect against pregnancy for up to 10 years.
If you’re insured, you may be able to get an IUD inserted at little to no cost. Your doctor’s office will confirm your anticipated out-of-pocket cost with your insurance provider before your appointment.
If you think you may be pregnant, take an at-home pregnancy test.
You should wait to take this test until you’ve missed at least one day of your period. The test may be most accurate a week after your missed period.
If you don’t have regular periods, you should take the test three weeks after the last time you had penetrative sex or came into contact with semen.
You should see your doctor to confirm the results of your home pregnancy test. They may use a blood test, a urine test, or both to confirm your results.
Whatever the outcome, your doctor can advise you on next steps. This may include options for family planning or birth control.
Although your risk of pregnancy from being fingered is low, it’s not impossible.
If you’re worried, you may find that EC helps put your mind at ease. EC is most effective within three to five days of possible fertilization.
If you’re unsure about what to do, talk with your doctor as soon as you can. They can answer any questions that you have and advise you on what to do next.
Last medically reviewed on May 1, 2018
Emergency Contraception: What to Do Afterward
What is emergency contraception?
Emergency contraception is contraception that can prevent pregnancy after unprotected sex. If you believe your birth control method may have failed or you didn’t use one and want to prevent pregnancy, emergency contraception can help you.
There are two forms of emergency contraception: pills containing hormones that prevent pregnancy, and the ParaGard intrauterine device (IUD).
Morning after/Plan B pill
| Types | Hormones | Accessibility | Effectiveness | Cost |
| Plan B One-Step Take Action AfterPill | levonorgestrel | over-the-counter at pharmacies; no prescription or ID required | 75-89% | $25-$55 |
| ella | ulipristal acetate | prescription needed | 85% | $50-$60 |
Sometimes called “the morning after pill,” there are two different types of pills you can use for emergency contraception (EC).
The first contains levonorgestrel. Brand names include Plan B One-Step, Take Action, and AfterPill. You can buy these over the counter at most pharmacies and drugstores without a prescription and without ID. Anyone of any age can purchase them. They can lower your chance of getting pregnant by 75 to 89 percent when used correctly. Their cost ranges from $25-$55.
The second hormonal pill is made by only one brand and is called ella. It contains ulipristal acetate. You do need a prescription to get ella. If you can’t see one of your established providers right away, you can visit a “minute clinic” and get a prescription from a nurse practitioner. Call your pharmacy to make sure they have ella in stock. You can also get ella quickly online here. This pill is considered the most effective type of morning after pill, with an 85 percent efficacy rate. It typically costs between $50 and $60.
ParaGard IUD
| Type | Accessibility | Effectiveness | Cost |
| inserted device | must be inserted by a medical professional at your doctor’s office or clinic | up to 99.9% | up to $900 (many insurance plans currently cover most or all of the cost) |
Insertion of a ParaGard copper IUD can act as both emergency contraception and continued birth control for up to 12 years. Your gynecologist, a family planning clinic, or someone at Planned Parenthood can insert the IUD. It can cost up to $900, though many insurance plans currently cover most or all of the cost. When used correctly as emergency contraception, it can reduce the chance of pregnancy by up to 99.9 percent.
All of these methods prevent pregnancy. They do not terminate a pregnancy.
You can use emergency contraceptives to prevent pregnancy after you’ve had unprotected sex, or if you think your birth control may have failed. Examples of these situations include:
- the condom broke, or you missed one or more of your birth control pill(s)
- you think your birth control may have failed due to other medications you were taking
- having unexpected unprotected sex
- sexual assault
Emergency contraceptives need to be used soon after sex to prevent pregnancy. The specific time frames in which they should be used to prevent pregnancy are:
| Emergency contraception | When you should take it |
| morning after/Plan B pill | within 3 days of unprotected sex |
| ella pill | within 5 days of unprotected sex |
| ParaGard IUD | must be inserted within 5 days of unprotected sex |
You should never take more than one round of emergency contraceptives at a time.
Emergency contraceptives are generally regarded as very safe for the general population, but they can have side effects.
Common minor side effects of both types of morning after pill include:
- bleeding or spotting between periods
- nausea
- vomiting or diarrhea
- tender breasts
- feel lightheaded
- headache
- fatigue
If you vomit within two hours of taking the morning after pill, you’ll need to take another.
Many women feel cramping or pain during insertion of the IUD, and some pain the following day. Common minor side effects of the ParaGard IUD, which can last between three and six months, include:
- cramping and backaches several days after the IUD is put in
- spotting between periods
- heavier periods and intensified menstrual cramps
There are no known serious side effects or risks associated with taking either form of the morning after pill. Most symptoms subside within a day or two.
Many women use an IUD with either no or harmless side effects. In rare cases, however, there are risks and complications. These include:
- getting a bacterial infection during or soon after insertion, which requires treatment with antibiotics
- the IUD perforating the lining of the uterus, which requires surgical removal
- the IUD can slip out of the uterus, which will not protect against pregnancy and requires re-insertion
Women with IUDs who do get pregnant are at much higher risk for ectopic pregnancies. If you think you might be pregnant after having an IUD inserted, make an appointment to see your doctor right away. Ectopic pregnancies can become medical emergencies.
You should call your doctor right away if you have an IUD and:
- the length of your IUD string changes
- you have trouble breathing
- you get unexplained chills or fever
- pain or bleeding during sex after the first few days of insertion
- you think you could be pregnant
- you feel the bottom of the IUD coming through the cervix
- you experience severe abdominal cramping or significantly heavy bleeding
Continue to use birth control and protection
Once you’ve used emergency contraception, continue to use your regular birth control methods when having sex, to prevent pregnancy. The emergency contraception should not be used as regular birth control.
Take a pregnancy test
Take a pregnancy test about a month after you take emergency contraceptives, or if you miss your period. If your period is late and the pregnancy test is negative, wait a few more weeks and take another. Doctors may use urine and blood tests to determine if you’re pregnant, as they can sometimes detect pregnancy earlier.
Get screened for STIs
If you were potentially exposed to sexually transmitted infections (STIs), call your gynecologist or a local clinic like Planned Parenthood to schedule testing. A full STI panel typically includes testing vaginal discharge for gonorrhea, chlamydia, and trichomoniasis. It also includes blood work that tests for HIV, syphilis, and genital herpes. In some cases, your doctor will recommend testing you right away, and again in six months for HIV.
While these forms of emergency contraception have high success rates, there is the rare chance that they may fail. If your pregnancy test comes back positive, you can then consult your doctor about what’s right for you. If you decide to maintain the pregnancy, your doctor can set you up with prenatal care. If it is an unwanted pregnancy, talk to your doctor and research your options. If you decide to terminate the pregnancy, there are different types of abortions that you can choose from, depending on which state you live in. Contact your doctor to see what options are available to you. If your emergency contraception fails, you can utilize these resources for more information:
