Ask Sam letter

Hi there,

For a girl or woman to become pregnant they would either need to have had sex or been sexually intimate with a boy or man. This could involve touching each other intimately. It's not possible for a girl to become pregnant just by masturbating alone as there wouldn’t be any sperm involved.

There is a lot more information about pregnancy on our site that you may find helpful. From what you’ve told me it would not be possible for you to be pregnant.

The way you’re describing your period seems very normal. Periods can be missed or irregular for all kinds of reasons. Stress, having to take mediation, changes in weight and doing lots of exercise are just some of the other things that can affect them. It’s quite common for them to be irregular – particularly during your teenage years – during puberty.

If there’s something you’ve not mentioned – such as doing sexual things with a boy – then that’s different and there is a chance of being pregnant. If that’s the case then it is really important to speak to your doctor or someone at a family planning clinic like Brook to get the help that you need, whatever you decide to do next. They would be able to check out your health and talk you through any options. Also the sooner this happens the more options there are available.

If someone is pregnant and they decide they didn’t want to be, then that would be something that a doctor would need to help with. There isn’t a way of doing that without seeking medical help. It may be possible to do all of that without anyone knowing.

It can be important to remember that the symptoms of pregnancy could also be the symptoms for many different things. Things like nausea, vomiting and increased urination could be checked out by a doctor. Or you could speak to a parent or carer about this.

Don't forget you can always talk to our counsellors for support.

Take care,
Sam