Understanding fertility can be confusing and overwhelming when navigating the Internet, with so much misinformation floating around about building or expanding families. Trying to disentangle fact from fiction may feel like an impossible feat for those trying to build or expand their families.
Here are a few of the more prevalent fertility myths dispelled by our experts.
Myth 1: Getting your period every month means good fertility.
Myths and misconceptions surrounding fertility for women can make conceiving difficult. With all these misinformation surfacing around conception, it may be hard to know the best strategies when trying to conceive a baby.
People often believe that having their period every month indicates good fertility; however, that doesn’t guarantee anything; just getting your period on time does not ensure you will ovulate on that particular day; only 30% of infertility cases actually involve ovulation as its cause; other issues like uterine or fallopian tube problems could contribute to fertility issues as well.
One popular misconception about oral sex is that it will help increase fertility; this is untrue. Sperm are chemically designed to travel directly toward an egg, and their count doesn’t change regardless of your position before or after sexual encounters.
One out of every four couples struggle with infertility, so it is essential to distinguish fact from fiction when discussing female fertility. A miscarriage doesn’t indicate an inability to conceive again but does point towards seeking professional reproductive treatment as soon as possible. Our Banner Health team is available to answer your queries about fertility and help guide your journey to parenthood; for more information visit our fertility topic center.
Myth 2: Birth control harms your ability to conceive later.
Trying to Conceive can be complicated and time consuming. With fertility myths aplenty out there, it is essential that you separate fact from fiction when it comes to your health and family planning. So before searching the internet at 1am for the magic formula for conception here’s everything you should know before going online at midnight searching.
Women are most fertile around and on the day of ovulation (when their ovary releases an egg). Birth control pills may reduce women’s chances of conception by stopping their ovaries from releasing eggs every month and interfering with her fertility hormones.
Your fertility can only be accurately assessed through regular blood tests administered by your physician. They will help identify whether or not you’ve ovulated and can evaluate what role fertility hormones may be playing during each phase of your cycle.
While stress and other psychological factors can have an impactful influence on fertility, infertility itself isn’t a psychological disorder; rather, it is a physical medical condition which must be managed appropriately with medications and procedures.
Myth 3: Infertility is caused by just one thing.
Infertility is a complex issue and cannot be reduced to just one cause. There may be hormonal imbalances, issues with ovulation, abnormalities in uterine tissue and blockages in fallopian tubes which all play a part. Men and women both can be affected by infertility; female may experience pain during their periods while men may notice testicular discomfort and changes to sperm count.
Understanding which fertility myths aren’t true will allow you to make better decisions regarding your reproductive health. Fertility issues can be sensitive subjects, and inaccurate or misleading information could create unnecessary stress and anxiety among couples trying to have children.
Fertility myths without scientific backing can often leave those struggling to conceive feeling hopeless and disappointed. For instance, many believe that eating cassava plants or yams will help them conceive twins more quickly. But no studies have ever linked starchy foods such as yams with an increase in multiple births. Furthermore, as they contain little nutritional value they shouldn’t form the core of any diet plan. Smoking can impede fertility in both men and women by leading to rapid declines in ovarian reserve, thus decreasing chances of successful pregnancies after fertility treatments, or making successful pregnancies more challenging by leading to ectopic pregnancies and increasing risks of miscarriage.
Myth 4: Having sex in the wrong position will make you pregnant.
Sexual intercourse doesn’t determine your chances of pregnancy; however, having sexual encounters within your fertile window (the days leading up to and on the day of ovulation) will increase chances.
Women begin experiencing fertility decline as early as their late 20s, yet many still achieve successful pregnancies later on in life. Men can still father children into their 60s and beyond; however, their sperm quality diminishes with age, increasing risk during conception and pregnancy.
Myth: Men have more sperm in their system when they wake up than at other times of day.
This is one of the more persistent fertility myths. While oral sex can drain sperm from men’s bodies, this doesn’t significantly impact their total number; plus sperm are efficient swimmers who don’t let gravity affect them when reaching your cervix or fallopian tubes to fertilize an egg – your fertility remains equally effective whether you use missionary, spooning or doggie style techniques when engaging in unprotected sexual encounters! And one sperm will do just fine to fertilize an egg!
