"Just relax. Have a glass of wine, lighten up. Then you'll get pregnant."
It's something we expect to hear from Uncle John or a nosy neighbor, not a doctor. And yet, Representative Phil Gingrey pretty much said this while defending Todd Akin's comment made months ago on "legitimate rape." (Yes, he really tried to explain Akin's twisted logic, which honestly seems like political suicide when you consider how well Akin did after making his comment. Gingrey did later backtrack and say he wasn't defending Akin's statement.)
According to The Atlantic, Rep. Gingrey said, "...in a situation of rape, of a legitimate rape, a woman's body has a way of shutting down so the pregnancy would not occur. [Akin]'s partly right on that. And I've delivered lots of babies, and I know about these things. It is true. We tell infertile couples all the time that are having trouble conceiving because of the woman not ovulating, 'Just relax. Drink a glass of wine. And don't be so tense and uptight because all that adrenaline can cause you not to ovulate.'"
Perhaps Gingrey should update himself on the latest research, which says alcohol may actually impair a woman's ability to get pregnant, especially if she is dealing with infertility. (You can read about that here and here.) There have been studies that found an occasional drink may be ok, but I've yet to hear of anyone recommending it as a "cure" to anovulation. And of course, ovulation is just one of many factors to having a baby. Don't forget about male infertility and other causes of female infertility.
So readers out there, take heed: Drinking and making babies don't mix, no matter what some OB/GYN says - especially one with a political agenda.
More on causes of infertility:
- Anovulation and Irregular Ovulation
- PCOS Symptoms and Treatment
- Endometriosis Symptoms and Treatment
- Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID)
- Getting Pregnant After 35
- What Are Your chances for Conceiving After 40?
- Male Infertility Symptoms and Treatment
- Blocked Fallopian Tubes: Symptoms and Treatments
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