Females undergoing artificial insemination for conception might want to lie on their back for 15 minutes following the procedure.

In artificial insemination - doctors refer to it as intrauterine insemination, or IUI – semen (containing sperms) is placed directly into the uterus. An earlier study suggested that lying down on your back for 10 minutes after artificial insemination increases pregnancy rates, but there were weaknesses in that small study. The theory was that gravity could keep sperms out of the areas in which conception occurs.

In the current study, researchers randomly assigned 199 women in Amsterdam to lie on their backs for 15 minutes after being inseminated and 192 to stand up and move around immediately after the procedure. More than a quarter - 27 percent - of those who lay on their backs ended up eventually giving birth, as compared to only 17 percent of those who moved around right after being inseminated.

Having women lie on their backs for 15 minutes after artificial insemination improves pregnancy rates and should be offered to all women treated with intrauterine insemination, the researchers concluded.