Sooner or later, most couples start thinking about children, but it’s not always easy to conceive. When a couple doesn’t have children for a long time, they often start looking for secret methods, special positions, breathing techniques, or even astrologers’ recommendations to help them conceive faster. However, precious time is often lost this way.
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For a long time, it was believed that certain sexual positions increased the chances of conception, but to date, there is no reliable scientific evidence that any of them significantly increase the likelihood of getting pregnant. There are certain exceptions related to specific anatomical or medical situations, but for a healthy couple, recommendations to try to conceive in one position or another are not purposeful.
To understand why sexual position has almost no bearing on conception, it’s worth briefly recalling how female fertilization occurs. During ejaculation, tens or even hundreds of millions of sperm enter the vagina. Within minutes, the most active of them reach the cervix, and some can travel into the uterine cavity within 15–30 minutes.
Studies show that the fastest sperm move very rapidly in the female reproductive tract. They are aided not only by their own motility but also by uterine and fallopian tube contractions, cervical mucus, and the physiology of the female reproductive tract. This is why the influence of gravity becomes significantly smaller or even entirely insignificant.
So why was it believed for decades that certain positions help conceive? There are several reasons for this. Firstly, people naturally look for cause-and-effect relationships. If a couple conceived after intercourse in a certain position, it’s easy to draw the wrong conclusion that this was the reason for success. Friends or acquaintances might claim that one sexual position or another is the best for conceiving.
Furthermore, almost nothing was known about sperm biology in the past. It was thought that sperm were almost entirely dependent on gravity, like tiny particles simply flowing down a tube to the uterus. Today, it is well known that sperm are actively moving cells, capable of orienting themselves by chemical signals, interacting with cervical mucus, and overcoming a long journey to the egg.
So why was it believed for decades that certain positions help conceive? There are several reasons for this.
Position is not the most important thing
Scientists have repeatedly investigated whether sexual position can influence the likelihood of conception. Using advanced imaging techniques, it has been found that sperm quickly reach the cervix in the vagina after ejaculation, regardless of most common sexual positions.
Couples often worry that a significant portion of sperm leaks out of the vagina after intercourse. This is precisely why the myth arose that it is necessary to lie down for 20–30 minutes after intercourse. This advice is often passed on by friends, travels from generation to generation, and is discussed in various forums and social networks.
Sperm leakage is a completely normal phenomenon. The liquid part of sperm performs a transport function, but a very small portion of sperm is sufficient for fertilization. Even if most of the fluid leaks out, it does not mean that the chance of conception has decreased. No scientific study has proven that lying on your back after intercourse significantly increases the likelihood of conception. The fastest sperm reach the cervix very quickly, so standing up after a few minutes should not reduce the chance of conceiving.
Interestingly, the recommendation to lie down originated not from natural conception studies but from assisted reproductive procedures. Some early studies on intrauterine insemination observed that lying down for a dozen minutes after the procedure might result in a slightly higher pregnancy rate. However, during insemination, sperm is injected directly into the uterus, so these results cannot be directly applied to natural sexual intercourse.
Lying on your back after intercourse would significantly increase the likelihood of conception.
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An equally popular piece of advice for easier conception is to place a pillow under the buttocks or raise the legs during intercourse. These myths are based on the same idea of gravity. However, the human reproductive system is not a tube where sperm simply flows downwards. They move actively, and the cervix is not at the very bottom of the vagina. Therefore, neither raised legs nor a pillow under the pelvis have proven significant benefits in clinical trials.
Another widespread belief is that certain positions help conceive a boy or a girl. This idea gained popularity after the publication of the Shettles theory in the mid-20th century. It was claimed that deeper penetration and intercourse closer to ovulation increased the chances of conceiving a boy, while shallow penetration and intercourse a few days before ovulation increased the chances of a girl. Later, larger-scale studies did not confirm this theory. Currently, it is believed that under natural conditions, choosing the baby’s sex is practically impossible.
Does orgasm increase the chances of conception?
People often believe myths because our brains tend to seek simple and easily memorable explanations for complex phenomena. Furthermore, people tend to pay more attention to success stories and advice passed on by relatives or seen on social networks. Fertility is surrounded by many myths and unfounded advice.
Another frequently repeated and equally popular myth is that female orgasm is essential for conception. There is a hypothesis that uterine contractions during orgasm could theoretically help sperm move upwards, but to date, scientific studies have not shown that female orgasm significantly increases the likelihood of pregnancy. The truth is that female orgasm is not a necessary condition for fertilization. Women can successfully conceive whether they experience orgasm or not.
Similarly, the intensity of male orgasm is evaluated. It is sometimes believed that the stronger the ejaculation, the higher the chance of conception. In reality, what matters most is not the strength of the orgasm, but the quality of the sperm, including sperm concentration, motility, viability, and DNA integrity.
A widespread myth claims that sexual intercourse should occur every day. While frequent intercourse is not harmful to most men, it does not necessarily increase the chance of conception. Studies show that the highest probability is achieved by having intercourse every 1–2 days during the fertile window. This frequency allows sperm concentration to remain good while not missing ovulation.
Another myth claims that long sexual abstinence improves sperm quality. In reality, abstinence longer than 5–7 days often increases overall semen volume but can worsen sperm motility and increase the risk of DNA damage. For this reason, couples planning a pregnancy are not recommended to abstain for long periods.
Some myths claim that certain foods or specific drinks before intercourse instantly improve fertility. Long-term healthy eating is indeed important for sperm quality and ovulation, but a single glass of pomegranate juice, honey, oysters, or another product will not change fertility overnight. Spermatogenesis takes about 72–90 days, so the effects of lifestyle changes only become apparent after a few months.
While there are many myths about faster conception, none of them are based on scientific evidence. If a woman is over 35 years old and pregnancy is not achieved within 6 months of regular unprotected sexual intercourse, or for women under 35 – within 12 months, it is recommended to begin fertility investigation.
In such a case, it is much more important to evaluate ovulation, fallopian tube patency, sperm quality, and other medical factors that may lead to infertility, rather than searching for the best sexual position or astrologers’ advice.
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