6 Debunked Myths and Misconceptions About Infertility

There are a lot of different myths and contradictions about women’s reproductive health. The reality is that these false statements can affect not only the possibility to conceive but harm overall health as well.

However, with the development of the Internet and a large amount of educational resources, most of these misconceptions sunk into oblivion. In this article, we gathered six debunked myths and misconceptions about infertility.

Infertility Myths Debunked

1. Irregular periods can lead to infertility

Irregular periods don’t affect a woman’s ability to get pregnant. Even if the cycle is elongated, it doesn’t indicate possible problems with conception. The regular menstrual cycle in many women can reach forty days.

However, severe menstruation and pain during sex may indicate a certain disease like uterine fibroids that may lead to infertility is left untreated. That’s why it is important to visit a professional fibroid specialist in order to get proper treatment.

2. In order to get pregnant, you need to have sex every day

If you are trying to conceive, there is no need to have sex every day for two reasons. Firstly, the number of sperm in the seminal fluid decreases, so conception is less likely. Secondly, sperm retains its activity in the cervical fluid of a woman for 48-72 hours.

Some studies showed that it is effective to maintain mild abstinence for 3-5 days after the end of menstruation and then have sexual intercourse every 2-3 days.

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3. STIs don’t affect the ability to get pregnant

There are a lot of asymptomatic sexually transmitted infections(1) that can occupy your body for several weeks or even months. This means that if you think that you have no STI, you may actually be mistaken.

The reality is that without the timely and proper treatment many of these infections can develop into PID. This condition can cause adhesions in the uterus and fallopian tubes that can lead to infertility. That’s why it is important to perform regular gynecological check-ups.

4. Only women should be treated for infertility

40% of infertile couples cannot conceive due to problems related to men’s health. Moreover, female infertility occurs with the same frequency, The remaining 20 percent is a combination of male and female fertility problems.

This is called combined infertility. In case of difficulties with conceiving, both a woman and a man should be examined, regardless of whether one of the spouses has a child from another partner.

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5. If a man has little amount of sperm, his fertility is in doubt

The sperm consists of seminal fluid, the volume and consistency of which is not associated with fertility. You should know that even a drop of ejaculate may contain a sufficient number of motile sperm for fertilization. However, when male fertility is in doubt, there are special tests that can show the composition of sperm using a special analysis of seminal fluid.

6. If the couple already has a child, they can’t be infertile

There are a lot of reasons (like different diseases or injuries) why a couple that already has a child can fail in later conceiving. This condition is called secondary infertility(2).

However, such couples don’t rush to consult a doctor because of their confidence in their biological capabilities. In this case, it is important to understand that one pregnancy can’t guarantee further successful conception.

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7. Handstand increases the chance of becoming pregnant

One of the most absurd misconceptions is that a woman should stand a few minutes upside down after sex in order to increase her chances to get pregnant.

The fact is that the sperm move independently and the body position doesn’t affect the conceiving in any way. However, it is better not to rush into the shower if you want sperm to stay in your body.