fertility-myth-busters

Fertility Myth Busters

With so much information about fertility it can be difficult to determine what is true or false. Here are a few misconceptions explained.

 

Myth 1:  Lie in bed with your feet in the air to increase chance of getting pregnant. 

While this potential routine after intercourse may be ritualized for some couple who are trying to conceive, there is no evidence that this belief or practice has any scientific foundation.

 

Myth 2:  At age 40 is when I should start worrying about my eggs. 

The probability for pregnancy in a given month decreases gradually at female age of 32 years and decreases rapidly after female age of 37 years. Egg quantity and quality decline significantly by age 40 in many women; therefore, immediate evaluation and treatment are warranted at female age of 40 years.

 

Myth 3: The position of sex increases the chance of getting pregnant. 

Based on existing studies, there is no evidence that sexual position has any impact on pregnancy rates. Sperm can reach the cervix within seconds of ejaculation, regardless of sexual position.

 

Myth 4:  Men don’t need to take supplements to improve their fertility potential. 

Vitamins/Minerals: Although methodologically well-done studies have not definitively proven that vitamins improve semen analysis parameters, antioxidant vitamins may decrease oxidative stress in the semen which may help the health of sperm cells in their ability to fertilize eggs.

 

Myth 5: Smoking doesn’t impact male fertility.

Smoking is a very common culprit for male subfertility. Smoking can decrease sperm counts, their ability to swim and the number of sperm with normal shapes. Smoking can also damage the integrity of sperm cells and make them not as good at fertilizing eggs.