What Happens After S3x?
Pregnancy can occur when sperm enters the vagina and eventually reaches an egg.
Once sperm has entered the reproductive tract, simply taking a shower cannot remove it from where it needs to be. Water running over the outside of the body does not reach the reproductive organs in a way that can prevent fertilization.
Even rinsing inside the vagina — sometimes called douching — is not an effective method of birth control. Planned Parenthood specifically notes that rinsing the vagina after unprotected intercourse does not reduce the risk of pregnancy.
This is why the amount of time spent in the shower, the temperature of the water, or how thoroughly someone washes does not change the basic answer.
What About Washing Inside the Vagina?
This is an important distinction.
Washing the outside of the vagina, known as the vulva, is different from douching.
The vagina naturally cleans itself. The Office on Women’s Health recommends avoiding douching because it can disturb the normal balance of bacteria and acidity inside the vagina. Douching has also been associated with problems such as bacterial vaginosis, irritation and other reproductive-health concerns.
