Infertility: More Myths vs. Facts

Additional information from our experts

Reproductive endocrinologist Wendy Schillings, M.D., and obstetrician/gynecologist Guillermo De La Vega, M.D., both of Lehigh Valley Health Network, separate myth from fact about infertility.

Myth: A healthy diet and regular exercise can help you conceive.

Fact: True. It is medically proven that obese women and women who are underweight have difficulty conceiving because both conditions can lead to problems with ovulation.

Myth: Certain sexual positions are better if you want to conceive.

Fact: This is another myth. There is no medically preferred sexual position for conception. Sperm travels into the intrauterine cavity within seconds and can live there for up to three days.

Myth: Stress only makes the problem worse.

Fact: Infertility is stressful in and of itself, so this is a touchy subject. Extreme stress can cause ovulation dysfunction, so decreasing your stress level helps to optimize your chances for getting pregnant.

Myth: You need to have sex every day.

Fact: That’s not true. Sperm need time to regenerate. Having sex every other day makes it less stressful on your reproductive system.

Myth: Herbal remedies can help.

Fact: There is a ton of information on the Internet touting the effectiveness of herbs. The reality is that randomized, controlled trial data does not exist for most natural remedies. But there have been some promising recent studies on a hormone supplement called DHEA for women with lower egg quality. This is not for everyone, so you should ask your doctor about any herbs you hear about, Schillings says.

Myth: Infertility treatment can cause a high risk for multiple births.

Fact: You have options when it comes to treatment. Surgical intervention, like unblocking fallopian tubes or reversing a vasectomy, does not increase your chances of multiples (twins, triplets, etc.). Ovulation induction with clomiphene citrate, which is the medical restoration of ovulation in a woman who has not been ovulating regularly, increases risk by 5 to 8 percent. Eighty percent of treated women will ovulate, and 40 percent will conceive with this drug. For couples who need more assistance, the risk for multiples is actually higher for those who opt to use injectable drugs than for those who choose to have invitro-fertilization (IVF). There is a range of other options too, depending on the cause of infertility.

This page last updated 10/26/11 12:01 PM