Sean Lauber: Does Sex Before or After Embryo Transfer Affect Implantation or Pregnancy?
Sean Lauber, Founder of Remembryo, shared on LinkedIn:
“Many fertility clinics recommend avoiding sex around embryo transfer. However, only a handful of studies have examined whether sexual intercourse actually affects implantation or pregnancy outcomes.
Overall, the evidence is mixed. Most studies found no difference in implantation, pregnancy, or live birth rates, while one randomized trial reported higher implantation and clinical pregnancy rates after protected sex the night before frozen embryo transfer.
The studies differed in several important ways, including the timing of intercourse (before, around, or after transfer), fresh versus frozen cycles, and protected versus unprotected sex, making them difficult to compare.
Researchers have suggested that sex might help implantation due to increased blood flow, hormonal changes, or improved immune signaling. One leading theory is that seminal plasma may help prepare the mother’s immune system for pregnancy.
Interestingly, the only randomized trial to find a benefit involved protected sex, suggesting the explanation may be more complex than exposure to seminal plasma alone.
At this point, there isn’t enough high-quality evidence to conclude that having sex around embryo transfer either improves or harms IVF outcomes.
Check out more details on Remembryo.
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