International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics

Many females do not know when may be the best time to try for a baby, a new study has found.

According to research by Melbourne's Monash University, more than two-thirds have tried to time their sexual intercourse in line with their menstrual cycle in order to conceive a child.

However, many were found to not know what days on which they were most fertile, with only 13 per cent of the 204 women polled answering this question correctly.

Kerry Hampton, one of the researchers involved in the study, said this suggests poor awareness of fertility may be leading to some people struggling to conceive.

"Accurately timed intercourse on fertile days of the menstrual cycle may reduce the time it takes a couple to get pregnant," she commented.

Ms Hampton added that this could help many people avoid "unnecessary ART treatment", as most women seeking help with having a baby have "insufficient knowledge" of when they should have sex.

Posted by Carla Mackenzie