Sex during Treatment

Several years ago I had a patient undergoing IVF who was at risk for developing ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) so we planned to retrieve and freeze all embryos. Following the retrieval and freezing the patient did well but failed to get her period. Finally she called and said she was confused as I had told her that her period would certainly come within 2 weeks of the egg collection. I asked her to come in for a sonogram and bloodwork.

When I did the sono I was shocked to see a normal intrauterine pregnancy! The couple had sex a single time during the IVF cycle, 5 days before egg collection and we got 23 eggs. So 5 day old sperm found the one egg that I missed and she ended up delivering a baby! Go figure. I am still not sure how this was reported in our CDC stats…cancelled IVF ET with a delivery…

Since that time I have instructed patients at risk for OHSS not to get too frisky just in case..

So here is the “Question of the Day” from 100 Questions and Answers about Infertility; the book that launched a thousand blogs (or at least one…):


46. Can we have sex during a treatment cycle?


In general, the answer is yes. Many experts, however, recommend no coitus for 2 to 3 days prior to an anticipated IUI to “build up” the male partner’s sperm count and volume. Also, some men may experience difficulty producing a specimen if they have recently had coitus. For men who have a low sperm count or motility, it is recommended that they abstain from sexual relations for 3 to 5 days prior to a planned IUI.