Does Orgasming During Sex Increase the Odds You'll Get Pregnant? Find out.

Whether you’re interested in getting pregnant or are totally trying to avoid it entirely, you’ve probably wondered this at some point: Does having an orgasm during sex increase the odds you’ll get knocked up?

Experts seem to be mixed on the idea. Some believe that the contractions that happen in your uterus when you orgasm can help move a guy’s sperm along toward your egg, upping the chances that you’ll get pregnant. Others think it’s total B.S.

In the U.K. documentary The Great Sperm Race, reproductive physiologist and sperm expert Joanna Ellington, Ph.D., says “the better the sex, the better the chances of conception,” which is definitely a cool sound bite. But the orgasm-pregnancy connection is a theory at this point, since it’s kind of hard to study these things. And, it's worth noting, plenty of women get pregnant without having an orgasm.

Lauren Streicher, M.D., an associate professor of clinical obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, is doubtful that it makes a difference. “An orgasm is absolutely not required to increase your chances of getting pregnant,” she points out. “There’s no scientific evidence to prove it.”

Women’s health expert Jennifer Wider, M.D., says it makes sense, although there really haven’t been reliable scientific studies to prove it. “During an orgasm there are strong contractions that can cause a ‘vacuum effect,’ which in theory could help the sperm up the vaginal canal and into the uterus,” she says. “It's definitely logical.” However, Dr. Wider notes, if women put a lot of pressure on themselves to have an orgasm while trying to get pregnant, it can make what can be an already stressful time even more stressful—which is counterproductive to baby-making. “It’s more important that the couple has intercourse during a woman’s fertile period,” Dr. Wider says. Basically, experts don’t really know if it makes a difference if having an orgasm during sex increases the odds you’ll get pregnant. Sure, plain sex can get you pregnant, but it's good to know that if you can hit a high note in the process, it probably won’t hurt your chances.

From: Glamoursmitten