A new Italian study has shown that women who are obese can achieve a 3-fold higher chance of a live birth if they do regular physical exercise before they start an IVF cycle. What was really surprising is that this was true even if no weight was lost following the exercise.
This is very good news for many women with a weight problem because it means that their efforts will be rewarded even if they don't manage to shed some kilos.
Intimate lubricants are often used by couples during sexual intercourse to reduce friction and to make penetration less uncomfortable. In this recently published study, researchers looked at a variety of different lubricants and their effect on sperm function in laboratory conditions.
Sesame oil and synthetic coital lubricants, such as Astroglide and KY products, were found to impair sperm movement and may thus reduce fertility. Pre-Seed and canola, mustard and baby oils showed no such harmful effects and may therefore be considered more sperm-friendly lubricants.
After exposure to mustard oil the sperm showed signs of hyperactivation, which is a much more active type of swimming that may help the sperm to penetrate the egg. If sperm is exposed to mustard oil lubricant, this hyperactivation would happen in the vagina. It is not clear whether this is a good thing because normally sperm hyperactivation is believed to occur in the Fallopian tube, which is much further up in the genital tract.
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