How the tilt of your uterus can affect you

IN a perfect world, all uteruses would be in a vertical position, but we don’t live in a perfect world, do we? And research shows that approximately 30 per cent of women have a retroverted or tilted uterus. But according to Dr Daryl Daley, obstetrician-gynaecologist at Gynae Associates, while that might sound scary, it doesn’t affect the ability of the sperm to meet the egg.

“A tilted or retroverted uterus, as it is known, doesn’t in any way affect your fertility. The uterus can have three positions if you are looking for a side view and its relation to the pelvis. So it can either be anteverted, which means it’s flexed anteriorly (towards the bladder); it can be in the middle; or it can be retroverted. What is important is that the [Fallopian] tubes are open, and once there is no evidence of pelvic disease, pregnancy can still be achieved,” Dr Daley explained.

He pointed out, however, that a fixed retroverted uterus (when the uterus is positioned backwards) secondary to or compounded by other conditions such as endometriosis or PID (Pelvic Inflammatory Disease) can result in painful sex. In addition, when there is scar tissue associated with these conditions, it can make it difficult for the sperm to reach the egg, but this does not mean that the woman is infertile.

“The only time a retroverted uterus becomes a problem is the event of conditions such as endometriosis when you have deposits holding the uterus in a retroverted position and the tubes are affected. So the tubes are affected by the endometriosis and they are unable to move, or they may be damaged secondary to an inflammatory sponsor – the endometriosis. In fact, a retroverted uterus in the presence of endometriosis can cause infertility, and you can have scar tissue inflammation, and the fixed uterus can make sex painful,” Dr Daley underscored.

Additionally, when the uterus is held in a fixed position, sex may also be painful, or the woman may have some amount of discomfort since with sexual positions involving deep penetration or violent thrusting it is likely that the tip of the penis may bump against the uterus. This is less likely to happen in women whose uteruses are mobile or malleable.

He also dispelled other common myths associated with a retroverted uterus, noting that it does not affect a woman’s posture or her ability to exercise.