Could the Breast Soreness Mean I'm Pregnant?

Published: January 17, 2018
Dear TeenHealthFX,

Hello, I am 15 years old. My boyfriend and I had sex this past Tuesday. A day or two after, my breasts started hurting the exact way they would if my period was about to start. But I had my period a couple of weeks ago and it doesn't usually start again until the 20th of the month. We used a condom and none of the sperm got into me. I was wondering if sex may be changing my menstrual cycle and if it's just coming sooner or if the breast soreness means I might be pregnant?

Signed: Could the Breast Soreness Mean I'm Pregnant?

Dear Could the Breast Soreness Mean I'm Pregnant?,

Breast tenderness can be a symptoms of PMS and a symptom of pregnancy. During PMS, breast swelling and tenderness can occur during the second half of your menstrual cycle. Any pain that occurs usually improves during your period or right after. During early pregnancy, breasts may feel sore, sensitive or tender to the touch. Women who experience this usually find it occurs about 1-2 weeks after conception. So, given that your breasts started to hurt 1-2 days after having sex, it would be much more likely for the pain to be due to your menstrual cycle, not pregnancy.

If you do not get your period as expected, FX recommends that you take a pregnancy test and/or schedule an appointment with your primary care physician, gynecologist or adolescent medicine specialist. FX also recommends that you speak to your doctor about the best safer sex recommendations for you. Doctors generally recommend that teens and young adults who choose to be sexually active use condoms each and every time they have sex to protect against unwanted pregnancies and the transmission of STDs, as well as a back-up method of birth control such as the pill or birth control shot. Your doctor can make the best recommendations for you and discuss with you how to use properly use birth control to maximize its effectiveness.

If you don't have a doctor and live in northern New Jersey, you can call the Adolescent/Young Adult Center for Health at 973-971-5199 for an appointment with an adolescent medicine specialist or contact your local teen health center or Planned Parenthood. A Planned Parenthood health center is a good option if you have concerns about cost or confidentiality issues. You can also contact your insurance company for a list of in-network providers.

FX also suggests that you check out the links in our Resource of the Month: Planned Parenthood Resources on Safer Sex so that you can learn about sexual readiness, how pregnancy happens, pregnancy tests, emergency contraception, birth control, STDs and more. The more educated you are about these topics, the more likely you will make healthy decisions for yourself when it comes to your sexual health.

Signed: TeenHealthFX

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