October 26, 2016

By Edna Smith

_Sex Edna is a sex and advice specialist for MOVE Magazine. She’ll take any and all questions about sex into consideration, but she’s really just making it up as she goes along like everyone else. If you think you’ve done something too different or too weird, Sex Edna probably has a story about messy situations or awkward interactions to match. She uses a pseudonym to protect her identity and the identity of her partners._

If you have ever been sexually active, you might know the terrifying feeling that you could be pregnant when you were not expecting it — a pregnancy scare. Some are quite minor: You might have been having weird stomach aches or think your breasts have changed. Even if you haven’t had sex, you can still be convinced that you’re the next Virgin Mary.

But sometimes, it’s more real. You had a condom break. You messed up on your birth control pill. You know that there was a mistake and all you can do is wait in agony, wondering what fate is waiting for you when your period is supposed to come.

About a month ago, I had a big scare. I made a mistake with my birth control pill and had sex without a condom. According to my pill’s instructions, I would be fine. But, according to an article I read, it was possible I could be pregnant. I spent three weeks waiting.

I watched my body like a hawk. Did I have any random cramps that could be from implantation? Were my breasts larger than usual? Did I feel extra fatigued? In reality, my body was fine. It was my mind that was taking a toll. Although I knew the chances of me actually being pregnant were incredibly low, I was planning in my head for the worst-case scenario. Thankfully, the scare was just a scare. If it weren’t, I would be writing a very different column.

It’s easy to feel panicked when you think you might be pregnant, especially if you feel like you don’t have the evidence to substantiate a scare. It’s important to know that you’re not alone. When you confide in other people about a pregnancy scare, you’ll find that most know exactly where you’re coming from.

If you don’t feel comfortable talking to someone you know, try talking to someone you don’t know. There are online resources through organizations like Planned Parenthood where you can talk to someone anonymously about your chances of being pregnant or what your options are if you are pregnant.

Don’t drive yourself up the wall, but go through whatever steps you can to try to ease your mind. Everyone has pregnancy scares, even Sex Edna. I was fine. Chances are you’ll be fine too, no matter the outcome.