Doctor tells couple reason why they haven't gotten pregnant yet is because they're having sex the wrong way

A doctor told a married couple the reason they have been unable to get pregnant is because they'd been having sex wrong.

Trying to conceive can be a challenging experience for couples, sometimes taking months or even years before getting the good news.

But according to the Cleveland Clinic, infertility is very common, affecting as many as one in five women between 15 and 49 years old.

It can be difficult for some couples to get pregnant (Getty Stock Image)

Medics diagnose infertility in people under the age of 35 after one year of trying to conceive naturally, which is defined as having regular, unprotected sex.

Fortunately there are many treatment options to aid the process along for those keen to start or expand their family, from changing lifestyle habits, such as quitting smoking, to medication that can stimulate the ovaries to make more eggs and even surgery to open blocked fallopian tubes to remove polyps, fibroids or other problems.

Then there are several alternatives using assisted reproductive technology (ART) such as in vitro fertilization (IVF), insemination or 'sperm injections'.

In between 85 percent to 90 percent of cases, infertility issues can be treated by using one or more of the methods above to allow women to conceive.

The doctor became concerned the young woman might have other medical issues before she uncovered the truth (Getty Stock Image)

However, one doctor was in for a shock when she met a married couple, aged 26 and 24 from Bijie city in China's Guizhou province, who said they had no joy getting pregnant, despite having regular intercourse for four years.

Obstetrician Liu Hongmei said the young couple were both 'very healthy' but were having 'a lot of stress' with the issue.

The 24-year-old woman admitted that sex was 'unusually painful' for her every time the pair tried, but she had endured it in hopes of becoming pregnant.

Doctor Liu believed the woman's symptoms matched more closely with a gynaecological disease - but was left 'shocked' when a closer inspection revealed the truth.

According to China's Guiyang Evening Post, the examination revealed the wife was actually a virgin, and so Liu then turned to inspect the woman's anus.

The pair had some great news to share after following the doctor's advice (Getty Stock Image)

It was there that it all made sense to the doc, as she told the couple they had been mistakenly having anal sex for four years.

Doctor Liu reportedly gave the couple sex-education books and 'guidelines' which seemed to work as the woman announced just a few months later that she was finally carrying a child.

The soon-to-be-parents reportedly surprised the doctor with the triumphant news by sending 100 eggs and a live chicken as gifts to the hospital.

Doctor Liu added: "Four years of marriage and neither the husband nor wife knew how to get pregnant. Couples so lacking in general knowledge are very rare. But it is not uncommon for people to lack or have misconceptions regarding sexual knowledge."