Even though your egg only lives for 24 hours, sperm can live in your uterus for between three and five days. This means you can get pregnant from having sex from about five days before ovulation to one day after ovulation. If pregnancy is your goal, it’s better to have sperm already in your body when you ovulate. The highest probability of conception occurs when intercourse takes place one to two days before ovulation and on the day of ovulation.