by Dr. Lowell Ku
Should you have intercourse every day? Every other day? 2 times a day? Once a week? Today, I discuss the American Society of Reproductive Medicine’s recommendations for the frequency of intercourse.
Sex. How often should a couple have sex in order to get pregnant? The Practice Committee of the American Society of Reproductive Medicine along with the Society for Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility has published a statement discussing the frequency of intercourse in order to optimize your natural fertility.
The practice committee reviewed a study examining the optimal frequency of intercourse to improve the odds of getting pregnant. They state, “In one study involving 221 presumably fertile couples planning to conceive, the highest cycle fecundability [the chance of conceiving per cycle] (37% per cycle) was associated with daily intercourse. Intercourse on alternate days yielded a comparable pregnancy rate per cycle (33%), but the likelihood for success decreased to 15% per cycle when intercourse occurred only once weekly.” They go on to state, “Although evidence suggests that daily intercourse may confer a slight advantage, specific recommendations regarding the frequency of intercourse may induce stress unnecessarily.”
The practice committee concludes, “Couples should be informed that reproductive efficiency increases with the frequency of intercourse and is highest when intercourse occurs every 1 to 2 days but be advised that the optimal frequency of intercourse is best defined by their own preference within that context.”
At Dallas IVF we recommend intercourse every other day beginning with a positive ovulation predictor kit. Talk to your doctor to see how frequent you should be having intercourse in order to optimize your chances of getting pregnant.
Source: Fertility and Sterility, Volume 90, Issue 5, Page S1, November 2008, Authors: Practice Committee of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine with the Society for Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility
Dr. Lowell Ku, M.D. is an award winning and leading Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility specialist at Dallas IVF, one the nation’s premiere infertility centers. Dr. Ku clarifies the many confusing terms used in the world of Infertility using straightforward explanations.
