A doctor helped a married couple discover why they couldn’t get pregnant—they had been having sex the wrong way.
For many couples, trying to conceive can be a challenging and emotional journey. It often involves months or even years of effort before the news of a pregnancy.
Infertility affects about one in five women aged 15 to 49, according to the Cleveland Clinic. It’s a sensitive issue that requires careful diagnosis and understanding.
Doctors usually diagnose infertility after a year of trying to conceive naturally, with regular, unprotected intercourse. There are many treatments available, from lifestyle changes to medical procedures like in vitro fertilization (IVF).
Most infertility cases can be successfully treated. About 85 to 90 percent of couples can conceive with these methods.
However, one doctor encountered a unique situation. A couple from Bijie City in China, aged 26 and 24, had been trying to conceive for four years without success, despite regular intercourse.
Obstetrician Liu Hongmei found both the husband and wife to be healthy but stressed about their infertility struggle. The 24-year-old woman mentioned that sex was always unusually painful for her.
Doctor Liu initially suspected a gynecological issue. But during an examination, she discovered the woman was still a virgin. This led her to investigate further.
It turned out the couple had been having anal sex for their entire marriage without realizing it. They were unaware of the mistake and had been trying to conceive this way.
Doctor Liu gave them sex-education materials and explained how to properly conceive. A few months later, the woman was excited to share the news that she was finally pregnant.
To show their gratitude, the couple sent Doctor Liu a special gift—a live chicken and 100 eggs—as a thank-you for her help.
Doctor Liu remarked, “It’s rare to see a couple lacking so much basic knowledge about sex. But it’s not uncommon for people to have misconceptions about sexual health.”
