When suspecting or dealing with fertility issues, many couples go online and search for answers. There is nothing wrong with this to get a basic understanding of a problem. However, with so much information available on the internet, it can be difficult to determine what is true and what just an old wives’ tale.

These are the most common myths about fertility

Getting Pregnant is Easy

If you have been trying to get pregnant for a while, you might be surprised at how difficult it is. It is a biologically complex process involving male and female factors, but also many still unknown ones. Even for healthy couples, the chances of achieving a pregnancy are quite low (20% per cycle according to NHS.com) And since fertility decreases with age, women older than 37 have only a 10% chance of getting pregnant; beyond the age of 40 chances drop down to 1%.

If you have been trying to get pregnant by natural means for over a year without success, we recommend you seek medical counseling.

Certain (sex) positions increase your chances of getting pregnant

You may have heard that certain positions can help you get pregnant; unfortunately, there is no scientific evidence to support this theory.

The reproductive process automatically begins when the male sperm reaches the vagina, regardless of the position. The texture of seminal fluid helps it adhere to the vaginal walls – the ejaculate volume has no impact on your chances of getting pregnant either. But don’t worry, nature is well-prepared for reproduction.

Long-term contraceptives affect your fertility

This is wrong! Several studies concluded that the long-term intake of contraceptives has no real impact on fertility. According to experts, differences among pregnancy rates of women who had taken contraceptive pills long term and women who had not are non-existent.

Some women, however, do experience post-pill Amenorrhea after using the pill, although in most cases their period returns to normal a short time after.

Infertility is usually a woman’s problem

It surprises most people to learn that infertility is a female problem in about 30% of all cases, a male problem in 30% of all cases, 25% is due to a combined problem of the couple and 15% due to unexplained factors. (NHS.com)

Beyond the age of 35, women’s ovarian reserve decreases drastically, whereas most men are still fertile past that age – data on when exactly male fertility starts to decrease are not available.

Just relax and you will get pregnant

 This statement may be offensive to someone who is struggling from infertility problems. Infertility is a physical problem – not a psychological one – although there are studies that maintain that high levels of stress may have an impact on hormone levels and ultimately on ovulation. However, stress levels would have to be extremely high for this to happen.

If you already have one child, surely you can have another one

Not necessarily. Many women who already have children are affected by a condition known as secondary infertility

This condition may be caused by the same factors that cause primary infertility: ovulation, hormonal imbalance, tubal factors, generic factors, etc.

But there are also many other factors associated with a first pregnancy that may affect your fertility, such as diabetes, pelvic adhesions, or other conditions such as STDs

Disclaimer: Our blog articles are to enlighten you on general healthcare or fertility-related issues. This isn’t a diagnosis. Please feel free to reach out to us here for a consultation with a specialist to examine your case.