The popular magazines, audiovisual media and contradictory speeches made by a part of the medical fraternity have made fertility a much debated and controversial topic over the years among women of reproductive ages. Is the percentage of women infertility greater than men? Does the couple need to have intercourse seven days of the week to bring a child into this world? All these misconceptions are haunting women for years.
Below are 8 misconceptions regarding fertility that are busted so that one can see the true direction through them
Misconception 1: Lack of Sex leads to infertility among couples
This is a misconception that had been bolstered in the previous generation and from there, it is percolated into the next generation, that, in order to get the woman pregnant, the man and woman should ‘try more’. Here the underline message is – having sex on every single day. But this is one of the myths regarding
pregnancy as the chance of getting pregnant reaches its peak during the ovulation period of the women and for that, the couple doesn’t need to indulge themselves in sexual intercourse every weekday once they return from the office fatigued and languid.
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woman’s ovulation cycle starts from the day 14 since the first day of her monthly menstruation cycle. So, the common advice by the doctors is that a couple should have more sex between day 14 and 16 as eggs remain most active during that period. Added with that, a couple is expected to have intercourse minimum 3 times a week for reproduction.
Misconception 2: Fertility treatment is crucial for women over the age of 35
That a woman over 35 can’t have kids without the assistance of treatments is another one of the myths regarding pregnancy. Though it’s true that as the age of a woman increases, she may face some complications during conception naturally, but just labelling her
infertile is cruel and irrational behaviour. The medical fraternity advises a woman to try for minimum 6 months to conceive normally since the day she and her partner have decided to have a baby. If she fails to get pregnant normally during that period, seeking fertility treatments is recommended for her. If she is below 35, then it’s advised that she should try normal methods to get pregnant for at least one year, with her partner. After that, she must consult a fertility specialist.
Misconception 3: Stress hampers fertility – thus leading to complications for conceiving
It’s known that stress is the part of a couple’s life if they are constantly bombarded with family, relatives and friends all the time for the ‘good news’. But stress doesn’t cause infertility. If one goes through the women’s magazines on the rack of a supermarket, at least 50% of them carry articles related to infertility among women. And they simply harp on the myth related stress and infertility. Not only them, even many women columnists, popular TV dramas, and blogs advertise this misconception freely and all the time. There are many factors that remain at play for infertility in a woman. Stress is also a lifestyle disease that affects both health and mind of a human being. But blaming this solely for infertility is a bit far-fetched.
Misconception 4: The younger the couple is, the better is the chance for them to have child
The perpetual myth in the society is that when the couple is younger, they can’t encounter infertility at any cost. But it is an oversimplification of a complicated biological process. Many women suffer from PCOS or Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome from a relatively tender age. PCOS is curable and if it remains untreated for long or on its complex stage, then infertility issues may crop up in the life of the bearer. On the other hand, blockage of the fallopian tube is another extremely common sight that can occur among women from different age groups. So it’s possible for a younger couple, say where the woman is 25 and the man 27, to
face infertility.
Misconception 5: Men can’t be infertile
This is the superstitious and stubborn belief from the orthodox part of the society that a man can never be infertile. Not only is this belief perpetuated by movies or TV dramas where only the women have been shown to be infertile but is also bolstered by ancient thinking. In reality, a major percentage of the male populace around the world encounters infertility, irrespective of age. It is estimated that around 35% of men from the reproductive age group suffer from partial infertility, where 2% of men are completely infertile. The solution lies in giving the men the freedom of admitting this incapability bravely and unashamedly and seeking medical assistance as early as possible.
Misconception 6: Infertility is genetic or transmissible
Another myth regarding infertility is that – it can be inherited from the family tree if anyone of the couple has infertility history in his/her respective ancestors. This misconception has also been transformed to a superstition that prevents any
infertile woman to touch a pregnant lady in many cultures. In reality, the medical science has proven the fact that- if a person’s parents or other close blood relations have gone through barrenness; it doesn’t mean he/she will face the same.
Misconception 7: Lubricants are not deterrent in the process of conceiving
Lubricants are used for getting for preventing unwanted pregnancy or sexually transmitted diseases to a great extent. But if you and your partner are planning for a baby, using lubricants during sex reduces it’s chance drastically. A common lubricant can kill up to 60% of sperms of a man during intercourse. On the other hand, if you want to have a baby as well as safe sex- then there are some specialized lubricants in the market that don’t kill sperms during the process. Further medical consultation is advised for more information.
Misconception 8: If sperms spill out of vagina, it means infertility
A woman’s vagina has its own capacity to absorb sufficient number of sperms. Up to 72 hours after sex, the fallopian tubes of a woman’s body have the capability to attach the sperms with the eggs. If sperms overflow the vagina after intercourse, then it doesn’t mean that it will lead to infertility.
We hope that these facts have helped you separate the truth from the myth, about fertility and the misconceptions our society carries regarding it.
This is a misconception that had been bolstered in the previous generation and from there, it is percolated into the next generation, that, in order to get the woman pregnant, the man and woman should ‘try more’. Here the underline message is – having sex on every single day. But this is one of the myths regarding pregnancy as the chance of getting pregnant reaches its peak during the ovulation period of the women and for that, the couple doesn’t need to indulge themselves in sexual intercourse every weekday once they return from the office fatigued and languid.
A woman’s ovulation cycle starts from the day 14 since the first day of her monthly menstruation cycle. So, the common advice by the doctors is that a couple should have more sex between day 14 and 16 as eggs remain most active during that period. Added with that, a couple is expected to have intercourse minimum 3 times a week for reproduction.
