Pregnancy doesn’t start the day you have sex — It actually takes up to 2-3 weeks after sex to become officially pregnant.

Getting pregnant may seem like a rather mystical process. Once you learn the science and timing, it makes a bit more sense. Still, you may wonder how long it takes to actually conceive after having sex.

The short answer is that the egg and sperm can meet within minutes to up to 12 hours after ejaculation. But to see that second line on the pregnancy test, you still have some hurdles to cross.

It can take up to 6 days after sex for the sperm and egg to join — if a sperm cell joins with an egg, it's called fertilization. The fertilized egg moves towards your uterus. It gets to your uterus about 3-4 days after fertilization, and it can float around in your uterus for another few days. Pregnancy officially begins during implantation — when the fertilized egg attaches to the lining of your uterus, and the hormones needed to support pregnancy are released. It can take 3-4 days for the fertilized egg to completely implant itself in the lining of the uterus.

The most common way people get pregnant is from penis-in-vagina sex. But if semen (cum) gets ON the vulva or near the vaginal opening, sperm cells can swim into the vagina and cause pregnancy — but this is way less common. The only way to be sure of a pregnancy is to take a pregnancy test.

Any unprotected sex you have within about 5 days of ovulation may leave enough sperm waiting and ready to fertilize. In other words, you may conceive after having sex nearly a week before ovulation if healthy sperm are already hanging out at their final destination.

On the flip side, conception can occur very soon after having sex as well. Experts say that the sperm can navigate the uterus and fallopian tubes to reach the egg as soon as 30 minutes after ejaculation.

Sources -

https://www.healthline.com/health/pregnancy/how-long-does-it-take-to-get-pregnant-after-sex#fertilization

https://www.plannedparenthood.org/blog/how-long-does-it-take-for-a-girl-to-get-pregnant-after-having-sex#:~:text=Pregnancy%20doesn't%20start%20the,egg%20moves%20towards%20your%20uterus.

Photo Credits -

https://www.verywellfamily.com/does-lying-on-your-back-after-sex-help-with-conception-1960291