Hoping to get pregnant? Having sex throughout the month instead of focusing on your most fertile days could help you conceive faster, say scientists.
New research suggests that women who enjoy regular sex benefit from a boosted immune system, meaning the body is less likely to reject sperm and is thus better prepared to conceive at ovulation.
Indiana University researchers examined the data of 30 women, 50 per cent of whom were sexually active and 50 per cent of whom were not.
The team found significantly higher levels of type 2 helper T cells in sexually active, non-pregnant women. They also found sexually active women experienced similar changes in immunoglobulins. Neither shifts in immunity were observed in the sexually abstinent women
"It’s a new answer to an old riddle: How does sex that doesn’t happen during the fertile window still improve fertility?" says lead author Tierney Lorenz.
"The female body needs to navigate a tricky dilemma. In order to protect itself, the body needs to defend against foreign invaders. But if it applies that logic to sperm or a fetus, then pregnancy can’t occur. The shifts in immunity that women experience may be a response to this problem.
"We're actually seeing the immune system responding to a social behaviour: sexual activity. The sexually active women's immune systems were preparing in advance to the mere possibility of pregnancy."
Might be time to bring back the morning quickie.
