Should You Pee After Sex When TTC?

These days, no matter where you are in your fertility journey, trying to conceive can be stressful. Even if you’re going for it the old-fashioned way (read: sexual intercourse; no medical assistance), it feels like baby-making requires more planning than buying a home: You need to track your menstrual cycle, make sure you have sex on specific days, etc. Put it this way: you’re likely exhausted before you’ve even gotten to the jumping-into-bed part!

While it’s true that women are at their most fertile only on certain days, numerous myths about the TTC process have snuck into everyday conversation, creating more anxiety during what should be an enjoyable time of your life: Do I need to be in a certain position to get pregnant? Should I raise my legs in the air immediately after sex?

One of the most common myths out there is peeing after sex, with many fearing that heading to the toilet immediately after getting frisky will stop them from getting pregnant. Thus causing post-coital physical and emotional discomfort instead of bliss.

That’s the last thing anyone wants to feel before, during, and after sex. So we spoke with Cordelia Nwankwo, M.D., a board-certified OB/GYN based in Washington, D.C., to help us set the record straight: “To pee or not to pee?”. That is the question.

Does peeing after sex prevent pregnancy?

If you’re trying to conceive and you need to go to the bathroom right after sex, we’re here to tell you to relax and let that urine flow. “Peeing after sex doesn’t prevent pregnancy,” assures Dr. Nwankwo. The reason is simple Anatomy 101: “The sperm enters through your vaginal canal into your cervix and uterus and travels to your fallopian tubes, where fertilization happens,” she explains. “The urine comes out of the urethra, which is separate from the vaginal canal.” (The urethra is the tube that allows urine to leave your bladder and your body.)

This applies whether you pee immediately, 5 minutes later, or 30 minutes later; timing doesn't matter for conception.

There’s no chance of the sperm interacting with the urine because they’re traveling via two different routes. So rest assured that even if you’ve already experienced bodily relief through orgasm, you can absolutely relieve yourself further in the bathroom. It’s perfectly safe.

Can you still get pregnant if you pee after sex?

Yes, you can still get pregnant if you pee after sex. Going to the bathroom doesn’t affect your chances of conceiving, and you won’t flush out the sperm.

Here’s why this fear can finally take a back seat. Sperm travel into the vagina, then toward the cervix and uterus, while urine leaves the body through the urethra, which is a completely separate tube. The urethra is simply the pathway that carries urine out of the bladder, not the route sperm use to reach an egg. Once sperm are released, they begin moving almost immediately, so by the time you stand up and head to the bathroom, they’re already on their way.

Does urinating after intercourse reduce chances of pregnancy?

No, urinating after intercourse doesn’t reduce your chances of getting pregnant. Your likelihood of conceiving is the same whether you pee right away or not.

Sperm move quickly and can reach the cervix within seconds to minutes, and once they’re in cervical mucus, they’re protected and continue their journey. Urine leaves the body through the urethra, which is entirely separate from the vaginal canal that sperm travel through. So go ahead and pee if you need to.

How long should you wait to pee after sex when trying to conceive?

You don’t need to wait at all to pee after sex when you’re trying to conceive. If you want a bit of reassurance, sperm can swim into cervical mucus within the first few minutes, so nothing you do in the bathroom is going to change the outcome.

Your comfort genuinely matters here. If you feel the urge to pee, go. As a 2022 study for BMC Infectious Diseases showed, holding in urine can increase the risk of urinary tract infections, and UTIs are the last thing anyone needs during TTC. Urine exits through the urethra, which is completely separate from the vaginal canal where sperm travel, so peeing afterward won’t interfere with conception in any way.

What about putting your legs in the air after sex?

Lying down or putting your legs in the air after sex has no bearing on pregnancy, says Dr. Nwankwo. “Sperm can travel to the fallopian tubes in a matter of seconds. Whether you lie down or not doesn’t change that.”

This myth has been repeating in the TTC community for decades, because people assume gravity plays a role, but sperm are incredibly capable swimmers and cervical mucus helps guide them toward the cervix.

According to a 1991 review for the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology, cervical mucus creates channels that support sperm movement, which means they don’t rely on body position to get where they need to go. Once sperm enter that mucus, they’re already protected and moving independently. So feel free to stay cozy, get up, or head to the bathroom without worrying about losing your chance to conceive.

How long should I lay down after sex to get pregnant?

You don’t need to lie down at all after sex to get pregnant. If you enjoy resting for 10 to 15 minutes because it helps you feel calm and connected, that’s totally fine, but it won’t increase your chances of conception.

Here’s why you can take the pressure off. Sperm move on their own and begin traveling toward the cervix quickly, so your body position isn’t what determines whether fertilization happens. Sperm enter the reproductive tract through the vagina, while urine and gravity have no influence on that path. What matters most is timing sex around ovulation, not whether you stay perfectly still afterward. So do whatever feels comfortable, whether that’s lying down for a moment or getting right up.

Does showering after sex prevent pregnancy?

No, showering after sex doesn’t prevent pregnancy. Cleaning your body externally doesn’t affect the sperm that have already entered the cervix and begun their journey upward.

Here’s what matters most. By the time you stand up and head to the shower, sperm are already inside the reproductive tract, and water on the outside of your body can’t reach them. Sperm travel through the vagina and cervix, while anything you wash off stays on the outside of the vulva.

Showering is completely safe, but avoid douching, which can disturb vaginal pH and cervical mucus and can increase infection risk. Even the Office on Women’s Health recommends people not to douche. So feel free to rinse off if that’s what your body wants, knowing it won’t change your chances of conceiving.

Should you pee after sex? The UTI prevention angle

While peeing after sex won’t affect your chances of getting pregnant, it’s also not a bad idea to hit the toilet from a hygiene perspective. “Peeing after sex, and cleaning up in general, can help clear some of the bacteria in the area and decrease the likelihood of a urinary tract infection (UTI),” says Dr. Nwankwo.

If you need to go, it’s usually a good idea to urinate within 30 minutes after sexual intercourse, because bacteria could move into your bladder if you wait longer. Urethras are short (about 1.5 inches long), leaving little barrier between your bladder and all sorts of bacteria.

There is a caveat to these recommendations, however. The flushing away of bacteria that comes from peeing after sex won’t necessarily protect you from getting a UTI, depending on your risk factors. Other measures recommended by the CDC for preventing UTIs include drinking plenty of water, taking showers instead of baths, avoiding douching, and wiping from front to back after using the bathroom.

If you’re experiencing recurrent UTIs (typically defined as 3 or more a year, according to a 2016 review for American Family Physician journal), be sure to make an appointment with your healthcare provider.

What’s important to remember is that peeing after sex won’t hurt you, regardless of whether or not you’re TTC.

Why do you have to pee after intercourse?

You don’t have to pee after intercourse, but it’s very common to feel like you do. The urge usually comes from increased blood flow to the pelvic area and simple physical pressure on the bladder during sex, not anything related to conception.

Certain positions can press on the bladder more than others, which can make you feel like you need to go immediately afterward. The urethra is the tube that carries urine out of the body, and it sits close to the vaginal opening, so stimulation in the area can make the bladder feel more active even when it isn’t full. That sensation has no impact on whether sperm reach the reproductive tract, so the urge to pee is just your body responding to pressure, movement, and arousal. You can listen to your body and head to the bathroom without worrying about TTC.

How conception actually works after sex

Conception starts almost immediately after sex, but it unfolds in stages rather than a single moment. Within the first few minutes, sperm move into the cervical mucus, which supports and protects them as they travel upward. The fastest swimmers can reach the fallopian tubes in about 2 to 10 minutes, which is pretty impressive!

Once they arrive, the waiting game begins. Fertilization doesn’t happen right away because the egg may not even be there yet. Sperm can survive in cervical mucus for 3 to 5 days, according to the Mayo Clinic, which means they often hang out until ovulation. This is why timing sex in the fertile window matters far more than anything you do before or after.

And what about everything that leaks out afterward? That’s simply the excess fluid from ejaculation leaving the vagina, and it doesn’t affect your chances of conceiving. Only a small fraction of sperm ever make the journey to the fallopian tubes, and the rest will naturally flow out, as described by DJ Miller in their brilliantly-named 2022 review, The Epic Journey of Sperm Through the Female Reproductive Tract. It may feel messy, but it’s totally normal and isn’t a sign that anything has gone wrong.

How long does sperm last inside you?

Sperm can survive inside the reproductive tract for up to 5 days. This longer lifespan is only possible when fertile cervical mucus is present, because it nourishes and protects sperm as they wait for an egg to be released.

According to guidance from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, sperm living several days in cervical mucus is the reason the fertile window spans more than just ovulation day. Even if you have sex a few days before the egg is released, sperm can still be alive and ready when ovulation happens. This built-in buffer is completely normal and is part of how the body maximizes the chances of conception.

Common TTC myths: What actually matters

When you strip away all the TTC folklore, most of the things we’re told to do after sex don’t actually influence whether you conceive. Peeing afterward, putting your legs up, or staying perfectly still aren’t what decide the outcome, and you’re not harming your chances if you skip any of them. These habits stick around because they give people a sense of control, but the real biology of conception doesn’t depend on post-sex rituals.

What truly moves the needle is understanding your fertile window, paying attention to cervical mucus changes, and supporting your overall health in ways that fit your life. When sperm and egg show up at the same time, that’s what creates the opportunity. So you can let go of the myths and focus on the pieces that genuinely help, knowing your body doesn’t need acrobatics or extra rules to do what it’s designed to do.