Its a common question among the trying-to-avoid-having-a-baby set: Can you getpregnantfrom precum?

Also, what is precum?

Is it like a semen warning shot or does it contain sperm just like semen does?

illustration of a dripping faucet

Getty / Morgan Johnson

What is precum, exactly?

Precum is a clear, sticky fluid released before ejaculation.

Basically, precum serves an important function if you are trying to get pregnant.

All that acidity can get in the way of sperm maintainingthe right pH levelfor optimal function.

Another theory is that it helps to make theacidic nature of the vaginamore hospitable to sperm.

So, wait, is there sperm in precum?

Nope, sperm doesnt live in pre-ejaculate itself.

But that doesnt mean that there may not be some sperm released with precum.

Clearly, semen is your biggest issue when it comes to avoidingpregnancy.

With that said, precum isnt completely risk-free.

(Some experts believe its even possible for live sperm to stick around in the urethra post-pee.)

Typically, its not enough for pregnancy, Dr. Herati says.

The likelihood of pregnancy [from pre-ejaculate] is very low, but its never zero.

The study authors also note that all but one of the precum samples had fewer than 23 million sperm.

That sounds like a ton of the stuff, but its not.

Less than 2.5 percent of those people had fewer than 23 million sperm in their ejaculatory fluid.

Its possible that this lowered the overall number of sperm found in their samples.

If youre relying on the pull-out method, precum isnt really the issueits human error.

But precum probably isnt to blame for the unreliability of the pull-out method.

This makes sense when you think about it.

Again, thats people who are fullytryingto get pregnant!

This is because getting pregnant requires aspecific and complex chain of eventsto happen successfully.

The amount of biological magic involved is kind of mind-blowing.

Its also typically pretty hard for a dribble of precum to pull off.

Its that it can be really hard to use the pull-out method perfectly instead of typically.

That means the moment they have an erection, according to theCDC.

(Remember that its called typical use for a reason: Perfect use is harder to achieve.)

Also, skipping condoms can increase your risk of STIs for various reasons.

Otherwise, you should take into account that having sex without barrier methods can definitely spread STIs.

Thats partly due to the precum itself.

Because the fluid has biologic cells in it, it can transmit STIs, Dr. Herati says.

Foregoing condoms means neglecting that added protection.

The takeaway: Precum is pretty interesting and serves a fascinating purpose.