Wisdom from Wisot Wednesdays, Round 16!

Reprint from Redbook’s Fertility Diaries

Hi, and welcome back to our weekly Q&A with top fertility expert Dr. Arthur Wisot. It was a short week and we've got just two questions. If you've got a question for Dr. Wisot, just leave it in the comments section and we'll get to it next week. And now, for the disclaimer: "My answers to questions on this blog do not constitute medical advice, but are merely meant to create an educational forum for consumers. It is always best to discuss these issues with your health care provider." The good doctor's answers are below, in bold:

Question #1: With all your knowledge, do you find any belief in the Jonas Method?

Answer: No. It's really hard even for me to figure out how it's supposed to work but seems to be a method of timing that's more rooted in astrology than science. If one is reading infertility blogs, chances are that it's beyond the point of just a timing issue. Besides if timing was so critical, why does it seem that conception occurs 100% of the time on prom night in the back of a pick-up truck? Prom night is not timed to the cycle. There are at least three reasons girls get pregnant on prom night. Any guesses?


Question #2: (Subject: Botched IUI) We are trying to conceive with donor sperm. At the time of the botched IUI, we had planned to do an insemination at home (our attempt at a hail mary after 10 cycles of non-medicated IUI and our doctor suggesting that we stay the course) and two IUIs at the doctors office. My spouse had an urgent work trip come up the day before my LH surge so we decided to skip the at home insem because the tank is heavy and process sounded cumbersome with just one person. I went in for my IUI as usual and instructed them to send the remaining ICI preparations back for storage. A week later I received confirmation of the two vials being put in storage, except they had one IUI and one ICI. Despite my repeated clarification that there were two different types of sperm in the tank, they inserted unwashed sperm directly into my uterus. I ended up with an awful infection, which made my HSG two weeks later brutally painful. What, if any, lasting effects could this have on my fertility? We have obviously left this clinic and have found a wonderful RE who knows what she is doing! Thank you for any insight you might have.

Answer: The reason for the violent reaction to unwashed sperm is the presence of a substance in semen called prostaglandin. It can cause labor-like contractions of the uterus. There should not be any long-term medical consequences from this. Although semen is usually sterile, the donor could have an infection or the collection technique could contaminate the specimen with bacteria, causing the infection. Infection can cause damage to the fallopian tubes, although quick treatment will usually prevent that.