Kourtney Kardashian was told to drink Travis Barker's semen for fertility
Photo: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images
In the latest episode of The Kardashians, Kourtney Kardashian revealed the unusual advice her doctor gave her to boost her fertility—and it's a shocker. Apparently, as part of the newlywed and husband Travis Barker's ongoing attempts to have a child, she visited an Ayurvedic guru, who advised Kourtney to consume his semen... four times a week! This seems at odds with another method the couple is trying out: a no-sex "cleanse."
"Our last egg retrieval was not successful," Kourtney, who is mom to Mason, 12, Penelope, 9, and Reign, 7, with ex Scott Disick, revealed during the episode. "So, our new thing that we're going to be trying is a Panchakarma cleanse, which is Ayurvedic. It's like 3,000 years old." The 43-year-old said the cleanse is meant to "get all of the toxins that are deep within our tissue out of our bodies [to] better-quality eggs."
Watch part of the clip below:
Lucky Sekhon, a board-certified OB/GYN and fertility doctor, is OVER the reality star's fertility advice. She said in her caption, "My response every time @kourtneykardash opens her mouth (pun intended) to selectively share her thoughts on fertility treatment: 'Y THO?'"
The Canadian-born doc elaborated by expressing her disappointment, explaining that drinking semen is not a fertility method she has ever suggested in her practice. She advised readers not to buy into the hype or try it at home in hopes that it will boost their fertility.
Interestingly, the idea does have some scientific backing, Lucky wrote in the caption to her post. In theory, if a potential mother is exposed to the paternal antigens in the potential dad's semen, this could make a strong immune response to the fetus less likely—and reduce the risk of pregnancy loss. And in a study in the Netherlands, women who experienced recurrent miscarriage were less likely to have had oral sex. However, Lucky cautions that "this is an association and does not imply causation!!! and it was a tiny sample size."
We completely understand why people are willing to try anything in the hopes of getting pregnant, but it's dangerous when celebrities with huge platforms publicize questionable methods. So Kourtney, thanks but no thanks—we're with Dr. Sekhon on this one. If you think you might have fertility issues, the best place to start is with your doctor.