
Sex education needed on how pregnancy occurs
Research with Australian women indicates that most women in Victoria lack accurate information about their fertility .
A study of 204 women found that 11 percent had no knowledge of their “ fertility window”; another 50 percent had poor levels of awareness; and only 13 percent demonstrated a good understanding of ovulation timing.
People may be turning to expensive procedures like in vitro fertilization (IVF) unnecessarily, as they are unaware of their natural cycle and fertility .
With one in six Australian couples faced with challenges of infertility and approximately 10,000 babies born each year with the assistance of reproductive technology, fertility awareness and education is required to support couples who wish to conceive.
Couples wanting to get pregnant should have sex on the five days leading up to ovulation and on the day it occurs to increase likelihood of natural conception. This means that for women with 28 to 32 days cycles, this period can fall anywhere between day 11 and day 21.
Couples should also be discouraged from keeping a strict schedule for sex, as stress and pressure can detract from sexual desire and impact the menstrual cycle.
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