Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
MYTHS & FACTS ABOUT INFERTILITY
Chances are, you know someone who is struggling with infertility. More than seven million people of childbearing age in the United States experience infertility. Yet, as a society, we are painfully uninformed about how to best talk about this issue.
Most people don’t know what to say, so they wind up saying the wrong thing. Separating the myths from the facts can help you know what to say to support your loved ones during this painful time. Myth: Infertility is a women’s problem. Fact: Infertility has a nearly equal chance of being a man’s fault as a woman’s. According to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, infertility is a female problem in 35% of the cases, a male problem in 35% of the cases, a combined problem of the couple in 20% of cases, and unexplained in 10% of cases. It is essential that both the man and the woman be evaluated during an infertility work-up.
Myth: It’s all in your head! Why don’t you relax or take a vacation. Then you’ll get pregnant!
Fact: Infertility is a disease or condition of the reproductive system, not a psychological disorder. Stress and frustration are the result of
infertility, not the cause of it.
Myth: Don’t worry so much — it just takes time. You’ll get pregnant if you’re just patient.
Fact: According to the World Health 2rganization, infertility is de¿ned as the inability of a sexually active, non-contracepting couple to achieve pregnancy in one year. It is a medical problem, with an underlying physical cause, that may be treated.
Myth: If you adopt a baby you’ll get pregnant!
Fact: This is one of the most painful myths for couples to hear. First it suggests that adoption is only a means to an end, not a happy and successful end in itself. Second, it is simply not true. Studies reveal that the rate for achieving pregnancy after adopting is the same as for those who do not adopt.
Myth: Maybe you two are doing something wrong!
Fact: Infertility is a medical condition, not a sexual disorder.
The inability to conceive is a very emotional and stressful experience. At the Tulsa Fertility Center, we want to give our patients the facts to help them make informed decisions about family planning, and to dispel rumors about infertility. For more information or to schedule a consultation, call (918) 359-2229.