How pregnancy works

<p>\nFor a woman to become pregnant an egg must be fertilised by a sperm. Sperm leaves the penis and enters the body through the vagina. The sperm then swims up to meet the egg.<br><br>\n\nThis can happen after two people have unprotected sex (penis in vagina sex without a condom), when the sperm swims to meet with an egg.\nThis can also happen during any sexual activity where semen containing sperm ends up anywhere near the opening of the vagina. The sperm and egg meeting is called fertilisation.<br><br>\nThis fertilised egg then needs to travel to the uterus and implant into the uterine lining. The egg, now called an embryo, grows and develops into a baby over a 40 week period. From the eighth week of pregnancy, the embryo is often called a foetus.\nSperm can survive in the female body for up to five days.<br><br>If ovulation occurs during that time, or just before the sperm enters, there is a chance of fertilisation.\nIf fertilisation does not occur, or the fertilised egg does not implant, the egg will disintegrate and be expelled with the lining of the uterus as a normal menstrual period.\n</p>