Conception

Conception is a crucial part of the process of getting pregnant. Whilst by itself this is a straightforward process, there are lots of different things which can affect the likelihood of a woman conceiving, such as smoking, diet and weight.

Sperm

As boys get older and mature into men their bodies start producing sperm, which will enable them to become fathers. Sperm are produced in the testicles (balls) and are released out of the penis through ejaculation. To help carry the sperm to reach on egg they are released in a whiteish liquid called semen. Millions of sperm are released when a man ejaculates, but it only takes one sperm to fertilize an egg.

Eggs

As girls get older and mature into women their bodies start releasing the eggs which will enable them to become mothers. These eggs are released from the ovaries and travel to the uterus (womb), via the fallopian tubes, where it is possible that they may meet sperm if the woman has unprotected vaginal sex.

Women's ovaries release an egg every month - this causes the body to prepare for a possible pregnancy. The main way it does this is by releasing lots of hormones and by thickening the lining of the womb for the egg to embed in if it gets fertilized. If the egg does not get fertilized the body gets rid of the egg and the womb lining, and this process is called having a period.

Sex

During unprotected vaginal sex sperm may get the chance to reach an egg and cause fertilization, as it can travel through the vagina to the womb. This is most likely to happen when a man ejaculates inside a woman, because there will be millions of sperm swimming to meet the egg.

However, it could also happen if a man has sex and does not ejaculate. This is because as soon as a man gets an erection (hard-on), he produces a small amount of semen called precum and this contains sperm as well. Once inside the vagina the sperm from precum could also go and meet an egg; remember, it only takes one to fertilize the egg!

What happens in the womb

Conception occurs when sperm from a man meets an egg from a woman and these two cells combine to create a fertilized egg, which then has the possibility of becoming a foetus. A foetus is the first stage in the growth of a baby in a womans womb. If you have a foetus then you're pregnant. If the foetus grows into a baby and there is no miscarriage or abortion then 9 months later a baby will be born.

This process usually happens through penetrative vaginal sex, but may also happen with the help of doctors inside or outside of the body.

Conception occuring does not mean that the egg will definitely become a baby, as it has to develop a lot more for this to happen. Sometimes eggs are fertilized and do not develop enough to become a foetus.

Safe times to have sex

There is no safe time of the month to have unprotected sex if you don’t want to become pregnant or get someone pregnant. This is because although once an egg has been released it lives for around 2 days, it is really difficult to know exactly when an egg has been released. And since sperm can survive inside a woman’s body for up to 7 days, it is possible that it could still be around to fertilize any eggs released after you have had sex.