Should I worry about pregnancy with high prolactin levels?

Question

Hello doctor,

I had a dry hump incident with my boyfriend. I was wearing clothes, but he was naked. After about a week, I started taking Norethisterone medication to induce my periods. Three days later, I got a four-day bleed. Then I took a pregnancy test, and it was negative.

After four weeks of the incident, I took a second pregnancy test, and it was also negative. I had an abdominal sonography, and it showed an empty uterus with an endometrial thickness of 5.7 mm.

Later, I started taking Norethisterone again, and after stopping it, I got a bleed five days later. On the second day of my period, I took a pregnancy test, and it was negative. Now, my prolactin level is high. Am I pregnant?

Kindly help.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

Based on everything you have shared, you are not pregnant. You had dry humping while clothed, and your partner was naked, but sperm cannot travel through layers of clothing to cause pregnancy. This type of contact carries no real risk unless semen enters the vagina, which did not happen. You took Norethisterone, a progesterone-type hormone, which is used to bring on bleeding.

After stopping the medication, you had two separate bleeds, showing your body responded hormonally, something that does not happen in a continuing pregnancy. You also took urine human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) pregnancy tests multiple times, including four weeks after the incident and again after your second bleed. These tests were very accurate by that time, and all were negative.

You also had an abdominal ultrasound about five weeks after the incident. It showed an empty uterus and an endometrial thickness of 5.7 millimeters, which is consistent with a non-pregnant state. A five-week pregnancy would typically show a gestational sac or a thicker uterine lining.

As for your elevated prolactin level (a condition called hyperprolactinemia), this does not mean you're pregnant. It can be caused by stress, medications like Norethisterone, thyroid issues, or even something rare like a prolactinoma (a benign tumor of the pituitary gland). High prolactin can delay periods and cause symptoms like breast tenderness, but it is not a pregnancy sign.

Altogether, your symptoms, hormone responses, ultrasound, and test results confirm you are not pregnant. Let me know if you would like help understanding your prolactin levels, managing hormones, or tracking your cycle.

I hope this helps.

Thank you.