Frequency of Sex for Conception

Okay, so you want to get pregnant -- you just need to have a lot of sex, right? The correct answer is "Maybe..."

Before you panic, take this little quiz to test your current knowledge about frequency of sex for conception:

Questions

  • Women get pregnant when they have sex right after their menstrual periods. (True or False?)
  • Once you know when the woman is most fertile, you have to have sex about twice a day to make sure you get enough sperm in there. (True or False?)
  • A man should hold off on ejaculating for the entire month until the woman's fertile period, so that he has a lot of sperm built up. (True or False?)

Answers

Well, no, not really. First, it depends on whether the woman has what are considered "typically normal" menstrual cycles -- cycles that are 28 days in length, counted from the first day of menstruation (Cycle Day 1) to the last day before her next period. If she does (and many, many women do not, even those who consider themselves "regular"), then typically her most fertile time is around cycle days 12 through 16. So unless her menstrual period is around two weeks in length (which it probably is not), then the answer to the question is "FALSE".

Next question, please...

Hold on there, cowboy! While the "More is Better" frame of mind can take over easily here, that's not necessarily the case when it comes to sperm production. A man's body needs some time to refresh his sperm supply -- and semen without sperm in it is useless when it comes to reproduction. While some experts say once a day is just fine, still others recommend that a man ejaculate no more than every 36 hours when conception is the goal. Otherwise, you risk a lowered sperm count, and possibly, decreased fertility. The answer here is "FALSE".

Next question, please...

Well, that's a little drastic! In fact, if you wait for a week or longer before finally ejaculating, you may be delivering poor quality sperm. In a man with a fully-functioning reproductive system, new sperm are always being produced, and in general, his supply is completely refreshed anew in about three months. For the best efforts at conception, the newer the sperm, the better. The answer to this question is "FALSE".