Pregnancy and Frequency of Intercourse

As I have discussed in my "MYTHS" pamphlet, there is a very common belief that a man can "save it up." This myth says that if a man abstains from intercourse for several days or more, his semen will be better and he will have a better chance of impregnating a woman.

THIS IS COMPLETELY UNTRUE. In fact, the opposite is true. The most important thing about semen quality is the motility of the sperm - how fast and how well they are moving. The single most important determinant of good motility is frequency of ejaculation. The more frequently a man ejaculates, the better motility. The better the motility, the better the chance of a pregnancy.

Over the years, I have seen numerous couples, particularly those on various ovulation promoting drugs who will deliberately abstain from intercourse until the time of the HCG shot, mistakenly believing that this will improve their chances of conception.

If you are trying to have a baby, it is important to have intercourse on a regular and frequent basis. All the statistics indicate that intercourse on the average of 3 or 4 times a week will maximize a couple's chances of conception. Having intercourse more often will not decrease your chances but a lower frequency definitely will.

To be sure, it is important to have intercourse at the time of ovulation which will occur within 36 hours after the initial HCG injection. However, you must maintain optimum semen quality by having intercourse on a regular basis throughout the entire menstrual cycle. This is the best way to maximize you chances of having a baby. Certainly, deliberately abstaining from intercourse on the mistaken belief that it would improve the chances of getting pregnant is literally counter productive.