Q. It's been only a few months that my husband and I got married and we are not planning to have babies any time soon. We at least want to wait for about 3-4 years before we have babies, given that I am only 21 years old now. Although, we like to use condoms or contraceptive pills as a method of contraception, I was wondering if having anal sex was one way of not getting pregnant while enjoying condom-free sex? However, I have read at a few places that there are chances that one can get pregnant while having anal sex. How true is it? Sexual Practices Among Teenagers: Most of Them Prefer Oral and Anal Sex. 

Ans. "Can you get pregnant via anal sex?" is one of the most popular sex queries. Many people who don't find it uncomfortable to engage in anal sex and have full consent do opt for it as one method of avoiding pregnancy. But when it comes to the question of being able to get pregnant by anal sex, the right answer is no. There is no natural way of getting pregnant by having anal sex, however, there are very narrow chances of anal sex getting you pregnant indirectly.

The semen consists of millions of sperms, out of which only one is enough to fertilise the woman's egg, if it manages to reach it. Since there is no link between your anal cavity and your womb, there is no way you can get pregnant after having unprotected anal sex. However, we cannot completely trash the possibility of the sperm accidentally spreading into the vaginal canal. Experts believe that there are chances of motile sperms cells ejaculated outside getting into the vaginal entrance by a sex-toy, finger or penis.

In fact, British Medical Journal says that about 1 in every 200 women told in a survey that they became pregnant without vaginal intercourse. So, although, it is highly unlikely, there may be a slight chance that you could get pregnant through anal sex. However, if you make sure the sperm doesn't reach the vaginal canal, especially when you are having sex in the most fertile time of the month, you are safe.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 25, 2019 05:00 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).