Five myths about infertility

INFERTILITY, the inability to get pregnant after 12 months of regular, unprotected sexual intercourse, affects about one in 10 couples.

A diagnosis can alter relationships, lead to depression and anxiety and threaten lifelong expectations of parenthood.

Thankfully, medical advances such as in vitro fertilisation (IVF) have made it possible for certain couples to conceive, but these treatments carry risks and are often poorly understood. An article on WebMD claims doctors believe “the stress of actually undergoing infertility treatments can be so great it can stop even the most successful procedures from working”.

While stress and infertility can be connected, stress does not cause infertility or treatment failure.

Research showing an association between stress and infertility usually does not fully account for the indirect effects of stress, such as alcohol use, increased smoking, infrequent sex and dropping out of treatment. While the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention’s website correctly notes that infertility is not always a woman’s problem, it still incorrectly reports that in just 8% of infertile couples, the man is solely responsible.

In fact, men and women are equally responsible for an infertility diagnosis. In 2003, a report found that educated professional women who intended to delay childbearing to pursue their careers had significant misconceptions about age and fertility, believing medical treatments and good health could extend the biological clock well into their forties and even fifties.

Fertility clinics can perpetuate this myth with well-intentioned, but misleading statements. In an IVF procedure, a sperm and an egg are fertilised outside the body, and the resulting embryo or embryos are transferred to the uterus.

A study of 8 194 people from eight countries found that “close to 90% of the adults surveyed knew about IVF, but less than one-quarter knew about the chances of success. Even when physicians do have the right information, many are reluctant to engage with patients for fear they might increase their patients’ emotional distress or be perceived as pushing childbearing. – The Washington Post