# Does orgasms during intercourse influence sex determination? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 27, 2006, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-orgasms-during-intercourse-influence-sex-determination/378107 "2006-10-27T14:02:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Artephius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b77776/32.png) [@Artephius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Artephius)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2006, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-orgasms-during-intercourse-influence-sex-determination/378107/1 "2006-10-27T14:02:05Z")
I recently engaged in a conversation with someone who believed that a real orgasm following intercourse increases your chances of conceiving a boy. A quick google search yields a book by Dr. Landrum B. Shettles, “How to Choose the Sex of Your Baby”, parts of which are on this website ([http://www.childbirth.org/articles/sex.html](http://www.childbirth.org/articles/sex.html)). I have a bachelors in physiology, and I don’t remember falling asleep in the “how babies are made” class, but I cannot find any shred of real scientific evidence that would support such a ludicrous statement. Anyone has specific references to prove/disprove this? ---
**Author:** ![spingears](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@spingears](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spingears)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2006, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-orgasms-during-intercourse-influence-sex-determination/378107/2 "2006-10-27T14:27:01Z")
[QUOTE=Artephius] I recently engaged in a conversation with someone who believed that a real orgasm following intercourse increases your chances of conceiving a boy. A quick google search yields a book by Dr. Landrum B. Shettles, “How to Choose the Sex of Your Baby”, parts of which are on this website ([http://www.childbirth.org/articles/sex.html](http://www.childbirth.org/articles/sex.html)). I have a bachelors in physiology, and I don’t remember falling asleep in the “how babies are made” class, but I cannot find any shred of real scientific evidence that would support such a ludicrous statement.Anyone has specific references to prove/disprove this? [/QUOTE] I have been under the impression that it was who was on top of the ‘pattern.’ 😉 ---
**Author:** ![FormerMarineGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/65b543/32.png) [@FormerMarineGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FormerMarineGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2006, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-orgasms-during-intercourse-influence-sex-determination/378107/3 "2006-10-27T14:29:30Z")
[QUOTE=spingears] I have been under the impression that it was who was on top of the ‘pattern.’ 😉 [/QUOTE] Not always… I was always under the assumption that basically male sperm decided the sex of the baby. Try faking that orgasm. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2006, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-orgasms-during-intercourse-influence-sex-determination/378107/4 "2006-10-27T14:32:30Z")
IANADoctor but I cannot imagine how an orgasm (or lack of one) could alter the chances of a given sex being selected for. I have heard that an orgasm (for the woman of course…goes without saying for the male) will increase the chances of conception occurring but that is about it. Unless “girl” sperm are better swimmers than “boy” sperm such that lacking an orgasm the “girl” sperm has a better chance of reaching its destination absent a female orgasm I cannot see how this would work. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Octagon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5f9b8f/32.png) [@The\_Octagon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Octagon)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2006, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-orgasms-during-intercourse-influence-sex-determination/378107/5 "2006-10-27T15:01:30Z")
I cannot find anything saying there is a marked difference in behavior between sperm with an x chromosome and sperm with a y chromosome. If any of Shettles theories were true, we would have a marked difference in the ratio of men to women. I suppose it’s just dumb luck that if you do X you get a boy but if you do X without doing Y and Z first you get a girl, so it all magically balances out to 50:50 if you’re not using his methods. From [your link:](http://www.childbirth.org/articles/sex.html) > [@](#): > > BIG FAT WARNING, though: Scientific tests, other than those of Shettles himself and his associates, do not at this point establish that the Shettles methods (or any others) are valid. Sex is a great area for misinformation, rumor, and urban legends because it is often private and a taboo subject. The source of your friend’s idea is this, then, I’m guessing? [QUOTE=your link] Women’s orgasms can also be important. It also has to do with pH. When a woman has an orgasm, the body releases some kind of substance that makes the environment more alkaline, favoring boys. He recommends no orgasms when trying for girls! [/quote] I suppose you could disprove this yourself. All you need is litmus paper and a woman willing to undergo a few orgasms. I am under the impression that the only chemicals released during orgasm are in the brain - anything chemical that goes on in the vagina is probably the same pre-orgasm and post-orgasm, as long as both are post-arousal. AFAIK The orgasm is only a muscular reaction down south. ---
**Author:** ![Baffle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/dec6dc/32.png) [@Baffle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baffle)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2006, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-orgasms-during-intercourse-influence-sex-determination/378107/6 "2006-10-27T17:16:06Z")
[QUOTE=Artephius] I recently engaged in a conversation with someone who believed that a real orgasm following intercourse increases your chances of conceiving a boy. [/QUOTE] We wouldn’t have very many males then. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2006, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-orgasms-during-intercourse-influence-sex-determination/378107/7 "2006-10-27T17:19:30Z")
[QUOTE=The Octagon] I suppose it’s just dumb luck that if you do X you get a boy but if you do X without doing Y and Z first you get a girl, so it all magically balances out to 50:50 if you’re not using his methods. [/QUOTE] It’s not 50:50. Most births are boys. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2006, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-orgasms-during-intercourse-influence-sex-determination/378107/8 "2006-10-27T19:09:43Z")
It makes a HUGE difference, if where talking about the male’s orgasm. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2006, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-orgasms-during-intercourse-influence-sex-determination/378107/9 "2006-10-28T00:50:09Z")
> [@](#): > > It’s not 50:50. Most births are boys. Barely. This from JAMA, 1998: > [@](#): > > Since 1950, significant declines in the proportion of males born have been reported in Denmark and the Netherlands. Similar declines have been reported for Canada and the United States since 1970 and parallel declines also have occurred in Sweden, Germany, Norway, and Finland. In Denmark, the proportion of males declined from 0.515 in 1950 to 0.513 in 1994. In the Netherlands, the proportion of males declined from 0.516 in 1950 to 0.513 in 1994. Similar declines in the proportion of males born in Canada and the United States are equivalent to a shift from male to female births of 8600 and 38000 births, respectively. Known and hypothesized risk factors for reduced sex ratio at birth cannot fully account for recent trends. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2006, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-orgasms-during-intercourse-influence-sex-determination/378107/10 "2006-10-28T01:51:48Z")
[QUOTE=Artephius] I recently engaged in a conversation with someone who believed that a real orgasm following intercourse [/QUOTE] Weird. I generally prefer them **during** intercourse. But different strokes for different folks. What takes place _following_ intercourse is conception. That takes place hours later, from a few hours to several. Presumably you’re talking about female orgasm. (Because, as JoeyP stated, without male ejaculation (which is usually accompanied by orgasm), there will be no pregnancy at all.) I don’t see how an orgasm that happened or didn’t happen hours previously could effect conception. And I’ve never seen any scientific research to indicate this. One possible test: babies conceived via artificial insemination with frozen sperm. (A friend described this process to me, and she clearly did not have an orgasm during it. I’d presume that is fairly typical.) So does the gender of AI babies show any statistical trend different than the standard? ---
**Author:** ![Muad\_Dib](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/35a633/32.png) [@Muad\_Dib](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muad_Dib)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2006, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-orgasms-during-intercourse-influence-sex-determination/378107/11 "2006-10-28T02:37:48Z")
The lack of an orgasm would make _me_ less determined.