{
  "abstract": "Objective: The aim of this study was to explore the association between frequency of intercourse in the four weeks leading up to conception and fecundability among women trying to conceive in a pregnancy cohort. Methods: The Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study is a pregnancy cohort in Norway with recruitment between 1999 and 2008. This study includes self-reported questionnaire data from 64 193 women with planned, naturally conceived pregnancies. Results: The mean time to pregnancy decreased with intercourse frequency from 4.8 months for less than once per week to 3.7 months for > 4 times weekly, however the decrease was primarily evident for the group reporting intercourse > 4 times weekly compared to lower intercourse frequencies. There was a significant trend in TTP across ordered intercourse frequency groups (p < 0.0001), indicating progressively shorter TTP with higher intercourse frequencies. We found a 16% higher chance of conceiving in any cycle (fecundability ratio 1.16 (95% CI:1.14–1.19)) among women reporting intercourse >4 times per week compared to the reference group (1–2 times per week) within the analytic cohort. This association was consistent in supplementary analyses accounting for BMI, parity, menstrual cycle regularity and endometriosis. There were no clear differences in fecundability between intercourse frequencies of less than once, 1–2 and 3–4 times per week. Conclusion: Among women with planned pregnancies that resulted in natural conception, intercourse >4 times per week in the four weeks leading up to conception, was associated with a higher cycle probability of conceiving, whereas differences across lower frequency categories were limited.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Fertility department, Telemark Hospital, Porsgrunn, Norway",
    "Centre for Fertility and Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway",
    "Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway",
    "Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Vestfold Hospital, Tønsberg, Norway",
    "Department of Public Health, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark"
  ],
  "article_type": "Research Article",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 6,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Kristina W. Dreiås"
    },
    {
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        1
      ],
      "name": "Liv G. Kvalvik"
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    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "Mari L. Warp"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        3
      ],
      "name": "Siri E. Håberg"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        4
      ],
      "name": "Cecilia H. Ramlau-Hansen"
    },
    {
      "name": "Hans Ivar Hanevik"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/2s4490j7hg2bt.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.1371/journal.pone.0357286",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "2s4490j7hg2bt",
  "issns": [
    "1932-6203"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0357286",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licence_source": "journal",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "2743|Reproductive Health and Technologies"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Physiology/Endocrine physiology/Menstrual cycle"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Physiology/Reproductive physiology/Copulation"
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      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Physiology/Reproductive physiology/Menstrual cycle"
    ],
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      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Psychology/Behavior/Parenting behavior"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Medicine and health sciences/Endocrinology/Endocrine physiology/Menstrual cycle"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Medicine and health sciences/Women's health/Maternal health/Pregnancy"
    ],
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      "plos",
      "/Medicine and health sciences/Women's health/Obstetrics and gynecology/Pregnancy"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/People and places/Population groupings/Ethnicities/European people/Norwegian people"
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      "/Research and analysis methods/Research design/Cohort studies"
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      "/Research and analysis methods/Research design/Survey research/Questionnaires"
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      "plos",
      "/Social sciences/Psychology/Behavior/Parenting behavior"
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      "/Social sciences/Sociology/Education/Educational attainment"
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  "openalex": "W7214118641",
  "pdf_url": "https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0357286&type=printable",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-09-23",
  "publisher": "Public Library of Science",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/2s4490j7hg2bt.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:17:43Z",
      "native_id": "10.1371/journal.pone.0357286",
      "source": "plos",
      "url": "https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0357286"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "plos:physiology",
      "subfield": "physiology"
    },
    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "plos:women's health",
      "subfield": "reproductive-child"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Sexual intercourse frequency and fecundability in the Norwegian mother, father and child cohort study",
  "title_text": "Sexual intercourse frequency and fecundability in the Norwegian mother, father and child cohort study",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:17:43Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/2s4490j7hg2bt",
  "venue": "PLOS One",
  "versions": []
}