Experts speak on impact of sex position in pregnancy

Aside from issues with a woman’s reproductive organs and non-viable sperm, sexual positions can’t impact conception, gynaecologists have confirmed.

Some claims that specific sexual positions could make conception easier and faster were disclaimed by the maternal health experts, confirming that there was no scientific basis for such.

Health research revealed that there are claims that sex positions such as missionary, dogy and spoon, among other styles could increase conception rates. Their argument was based on the premise that such styles brought the penis closer to the cervix, creating easy access for the sperm to flow directly into the fallopian tubes, leading to pregnancy.

However, the gynaecologists noted that all things being equal, once a healthy sperm reaches the vagina and could swim to the cervix, a woman would conceive regardless of the sex position. The physicians further asserted that a sex position was only medically considered during sex selection.

While providing expert advice on the issue, a Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun state, Ernest Orji, stated that although the myth exists, there was no scientific basis for it.

According to him: “There is no sexual position that a woman takes that she won’t get pregnant. None is easier or faster than the other one. Sometimes, the man can ejaculate on the woman’s thigh and she will still get pregnant. Once sperm enters into the vagina, anyhow, the woman can get pregnant.

_____“We know that the womb can sometimes be introverted but sperm moves freely. Unless the cervix is blocked and prevents the sperm from entering, no position makes getting pregnant better or faster. If every other thing is normal with the sperm and the woman, once the sperm enters into the vagina, the woman can get pregnant.”

He further clarified that on the other hand, no sexual position could reduce the chances of getting pregnant.

The researcher on Reproductive and Feto-maternal Health added, “A lot of time, some people would think that since there was no deep penetration during sex, there wouldn’t be pregnancy. But if there was ejaculation, the woman would get pregnant.”

Also, Dr Stanley Egbogu, a Consultant Gynaecologist, stated that sex position was only significant during sex or gender selection of a child, affirming that the position assumed during sex had no impact on the possibility of conception.

In his words; “Anytime there is difficulty in conceiving, we don’t look at the position. Position does not mean anything,” Egbogu said.

He further reaffirmed his position, mentioning that even those who relied on the withdrawal method as a means of contraception could still get pregnant because the pre-ejaculatory fluid, which would……..have been released before withdrawal, has been tested to contain some sperm.

The gynaecologist further clarified that no sex position could reduce the likelihood of pregnancy or serve as an effective method of avoiding it; “Position will play less or no part because if you have good quality sperm and eggs, whether it’s missionary, lateral or dog style, they can get pregnant. So, we don’t bother about positioning when we talk about people trying to conceive. It is when we want to talk about sex formation that is when we talk………..about the positioning, that is the posterior side, meeting the woman on the day of her release of egg and alkalinisation.”

“In a fertile person, even the pre-ejaculation fluid can make the person pregnant, much less the semen. If you don’t want to get pregnant, there are laid down rules, we have our guidelines, which is family planning. We have emergency contraception, the normal family planning method of contraception that we use, we have condoms, cervical caps, oral contraceptive pills that a woman can swallow once every day for 30 days, we have Progesterone-only contraceptive pills, injectables, implants and intrauterine contraceptive device.

_____“We methods of preventing pregnancy and sexual position are not methods. Withdrawal method is a method of family planning but it has a high failure rate. So, there is no sexual position that is used as a family planning method.”(Punch)