Last Updated on September 23, 2021 by Team THIP
Quick Take
A number of social media users claim that drinking salt water after sex can prevent pregnancy. We fact-checked and found that the claim is false.
The Claim
“Drink salt water quickly after sex, this will help in preventing unwanted pregnancy,” claims one of the social media users. The question and suggestions around saltwater drinking to prevent pregnancy are available across multiple forums. Such posts can be seen here, and here. A screenshot is given below.
Fact Check
Can salt water prevent pregnancy?
No. There is no way salt water can prevent pregnancy. There is no scientific evidence to support the claim.
A qualitative study done at Nigerian University in 2016 shows that this is one of the most unproven, unscientific misconceptions of emergency contraceptive methods among students.
In a study done on 56 women in the age group of 20 and 36, saltwater showed no ability to prevent pregnancy.
Dr. Sangita Mahajan Chauhan, MD (OBGYN) says, “There is no scientific logic to this claim. No matter how much saltwater you drink after sex, it will not enter the reproductive system to cause any effect. And in case, salt (sodium) is not proven to have any contraceptive effects.”
Can saltwater be harmful to your health?
Yes. If consumed regularly.
Saltwater has been linked to hypertension and high blood pressure in many studies. Dr. Chauhan says, “a glass of salt water may not hurt your health immediately but regular intake of a high amount of salt will lead to hypertension and bad control over your blood pressure.”
Is drinking saltwater during pregnancy safe?
Not always.
Saltwater will not cause any harm to the pregnancy if your other health parameters are okay. Rather high-sodium intake has been seen to prevents pregnancy-induced decrease of blood pressure in laboratory experiments.
However, there is no reason to add saltwater to your diet unnecessarily without consulting your doctor. In other researches, a high intake of salt in the diet has been related to miscarriage.
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