How Soon After Intercourse Can Pregnancy Symptoms Occur?

Symptoms or signs of a pregnancy can begin occurring very soon after having sexual intercourse.

But this doesn’t mean that in every case of conception, the symptoms of a pregnancy will always occur very soon after.

How does this all work?

After you have sexual relations, there is a period of time during which conception can occur: from a few hours to five days.

Yes, that’s right: Up to five days after having sex, you can still get pregnant.

Sperm Hangs Around for Awhile

Sperm can live inside the uterus and fallopian tubes for up to five days, during which an egg (ovum) may be released from an ovary – and permeated by a single sperm to create an embryo.

Ever wonder why two sperm can’t penetrate an egg, even though there may be tons of sperm trying to permeate the egg at seemingly the moment that the “first one” achieves this?

Once a sperm penetrates an egg, a chemical reaction occurs that makes the egg impenetrable to the other sperm.

Symptoms of Pregnancy Occurring Soon After Having Sex

“Missed menstrual cycle would be the earliest pregnancy symptom,” says Mylaine Riobe, MD, founder of Riobe Institute of Integrative Medicine.

Dr. Riobe, who’s board certified in ob/gyn and integrative medicine, is the author of “The Answer to Cancer” and has over 15 years’ experience using integrative techniques to treat diverse patients.

This sign will be particularly blaring if your periods have always been very regular and predictable — and you’re vigilant about keeping track.

“Some women begin to feel breast tenderness, mild nausea as soon as a couple weeks thereafter,” says Dr. Riobe. “Symptoms tend to correlate with HCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) levels.”

If your home pregnancy test is positive, have a doctor confirm this, as these tests are not 100 percent accurate — despite what advertisements might have you believe.

This includes for a negative result as well. If you have a gut feeling that you’re pregnant, get a confirmation from a physician, even if two home pregnancy tests in a row have shown a negative — or positive — result.

Dr. Riobe has helped thousands of patients overcome difficult illnesses by addressing root causes, not just masking symptoms. She has over 15 years’ experience using integrative techniques to treat diverse patients.

Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.