KEY POINTS:
IVF couples have been warned not to abandon sex just because it is possible to have a baby without it.
A sexual dysfunction specialist says that by the time many couples seek IVF treatment their once healthy sex life is often "drastically impaired" thanks to a long-term focus
on sex to conceive.
"Sex has become rigid, structured, and all the fun is gone, so by the time we see them there is sometimes absolutely no sex happening at all," said Dr Hayley Matic, a psychologist at Melbourne IVF.
"We in the industry need to make a big push to remind people: 'Don't forget about sex, it's not just about having a baby you know'."
Dr Matic will tell the Fertility Society of Australia national conference in Hobart that international studies have proven that those who have a healthy sex life live longer, are less likely to have a heart attack, and they also get other spiritual, emotional and psychological benefits from the closeness.
Couples trying for a child initially experience a "sexual rush of excitement from the desire to procreate", but when they fail to conceive the effect can be negative, she said.
It becomes all about trying for a child, all about timing, and that's not very sexy, Dr Matic said.
"And when they come to us [IVF clinics] we give them the power of having a child without having to have sex any more and so some abandon it all together."
She said in many cases the lack of sex could even be contributing to the fertility problems, but despite this link, sexual health and impairments are very rarely discussed.
And whether couples leave the clinic with or without a baby, their sex life is very often damaged.
Dr Matic called on fertility counsellors to discuss and promote sex with their clients and remind them to take a broader view of the benefits of healthy sexual activity.
"And couples, even those going into conception planning, should remember that sex really isn't just about having a baby."
Biological clock affects men too
Reproductive experts say there is emerging evidence that a man's fertility declines steadily with age just as it does for a woman, seriously impairing the couple's chance of having a baby.
It was well documented that the window of opportunity for women to conceive falls quickly in their late 30s, but evidence for men has been less clear, said Dr Anne Clark, chairwoman of the Fertility Society of Australia's fertility protection group.
"While the amber light of infertility comes on at the age of 35 for women, it is not so well known that it starts to shine for men at around 40." Sperm count, shape and "travel path" has been the traditional method of analysing male fertility but new evidence suggests that DNA breakages in sperm may be a principal reason for male infertility.
The good news is that infertility in men can be slowed and even reversed with lifestyle changes, including shedding 10kg, and cutting out cigarettes and heavy drinking.
- AAP
