CARNAL NATION

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” and another 50 percent had poor levels of awareness. Only 13 percent of participants 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.

According to Melbourne-based news source, The Age, one in six Australian couples are faced with challenges of infertility and approximately 10 000 babies are born each year with the assistance of reproductive technology. The results of this research with women who attended assisted-reproduction clinics in Melbourne during 2007 and 2008 suggest that further education is required to support couples who wish to conceive.

''A lot of these women were not able to optimise their chance of natural conception because they didn't understand the window,” explains researcher and fertility specialist, Kerry Hampton. “This clearly shows the need for improved fertility awareness and education, particularly when couples first report to their doctors that they are having difficulty conceiving.”

According to Hampton, couples should have sex on the five days leading up to ovulation and on the day it occurs to increase likelihood of natural conception. Though each woman’s menstrual cycle is different and individual cycles can also vary, ovulation is estimated to occur 14 days before the start of a woman’s period. According to the American Pregnancy Association, for women with 28 to 32 days cycles, this can fall anywhere between day 11 and day 21. It can be difficult to predict the day of ovulation in advance for those with irregular cycles, but some women may use ovulation predictor kits to do so. Couples are also discouraged from keeping a strict schedule for sex, as stress and pressure can detract from sexual desire and impact the menstrual cycle. For information on conception and to learn more about your fertility window, click here.