Dr. Natalia Llarena was recently featured in The Bump in an article written by Korin Miller titled “Can a Menstrual Cup Help You Get Pregnant?”

Although there is no scientific data to support the menstrual cup conception hack, many women on social media have been sharing that using a menstrual cup has helped them conceive. Dr. Natalia Llarena, MD, FACOG, and ob-gyn and reproductive endocrinologist with HRC Fertility in Pasadena, CA states, “a menstrual cup is a flexible cup, often made from silicone, that’s inserted into the vagina to collect menstrual fluid.”

When using a menstrual cup to help get pregnant, the theory is that inserting a menstrual cup after sexual intercourse can help keep partner sperm inside the cervix. In theory, this method would keep the sperm closer to the cervix and raise the odds of meeting an egg, leading to a pregnancy.

However, Dr. Llarena says that because sperm enters the uterus so quickly and is rapidly immobilized, the trick is unlikely to help. “Sperm enter the uterus rapidly after ejaculation and have been found in the cervical mucus within 90 seconds, and many more within three minutes,” she says. “Within two hours of ejaculation, most sperm remaining in the vagina are immobilized by the acidic environment in the vagina.”

To learn more, read the full article here.