Dear SEC,
A [non-SEC] speaker at my college said that it was impossible to conceive while menstruating. Is this true? Are there any times during the menstrual cycle when a woman can’t get pregnant?
Really Aggravated Girl
Women can definitely conceive while menstruating. The notion that women can’t get pregnant during their period is based on the assumption that women ovulate halfway through their cycle and have an approximate nine-day window of fertility, which ends before she begins menstruating. Theoretically (and best left so), if a woman can determine when she ovulates, she can determine when she is and isn’t fertile. If this were true at all, however, then the so-called “rhythm method” wouldn’t have an 80% failure rate.
Some methods used to track ovulation include examining cervical mucus, charting body temperature, and analyzing spit, none of which are exact sciences and thus more suitable ‘birth control’ for women who wouldn’t mind getting pregnant. A recent study published in the Toronto Star reports that a woman can ovulate up to three times during her cycle, meaning pregnancy can occur at any time.
In other words, ladies: If young motherhood isn’t on your to-experience list, always use a reliable method of birth control, regardless of the time of your cycle. If you need more information on birth control, you can speak to a SEC counselor or a doctor at Student Health Services.
Dear SEC,
My fairy tale has become exactly that! I met Prince Charming during frosh week and fell in love, only to find out he is gay. I know you guys say sexuality is fluid, so do you think I have a chance with him? He’s still pretty closeted, if that makes a difference.
Hopelessly Adoring Gay
Sexual fluidity aside, you can’t squeeze blood from a stone (or, in this case, vaginal intercourse from a gay guy), so your best bet is to set your heart on friendship. His comfort with you knowing his sexuality is a great indication of trust, so why spoil what could become a fulfilling (and platonic) relationship?
Cool your jets for a while, get to know him better, then laugh about your crush a few months down the road-if anything he’ll be flattered (and maybe creeped-out, but he sounds like an understanding guy).
Should all self-restraint fail and your lust swell, you could try appealing to his tastes by, say, growing a mustache and dressing up like a football player, but that’s probably going to result in another letter to us.
SEC operates between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. on weekdays. Our anonymous hotline is 416-97UT-SEC and our email is [email protected]. We welcome everyone who stops by our office at 91 St. George Street.
