© 2025. The Trustees of Indiana University
Copyright Complaints
1229 East Seventh Street, Bloomington, Indiana 47405
News, Arts and Culture from WFIU Public Radio and WTIU Public Television
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Federal funding for public media has been eliminated — we need your help to continue serving south central Indiana
Some web content from Indiana Public Media is unavailable during our transition to a new web publishing platform. We apologize for the inconvenience.

Positions of the Uterus

If the body of the uterus is suspended in a straight, vertical position, then the uterus is in midposition. But now it gets a little complicated.

If the entire body of the uterus tilts forward toward the belly, this is called ante version; if the body tilts backwards toward the spine this is called retro version.

A Bending Uterus

Besides tilting, though, the top of the uterus can bend a bit, which is called anteflexion or retroflexion. A majority of women have a uterus that is both anteverted and anteflexed, meaning it tilts and bends forward toward the belly.

About fifteen to twenty percent have a uterus that tilts backwards. A routine pelvic exam can determine the position of your uterus.

Fertility

According to medical experts, the actual positioning of the uterus doesn't affect fertility. However, a retroverted uterus can sometimes be the result of endometriosis or pelvic inflammatory disease, and in both of these cases scar tissue can decrease one's fertility.

Otherwise, one shouldn't be concerned about the position of her uterus unless she experiences problems such as pain during intercourse or when using a tampon.

Stay Connected