1. MYTH: Infertility is a woman’s problem.
FACT: Approximately 40 percent of infertility is due to female factors, 40 percent is due to male factors. The remaining 20% of cases are either a result of both partners or for unknown reasons.Consequently, both men and women should be evaluated.
Male infertility factors include:
- Azoospermia (no sperm cells are produced) and oligospermia (few sperm cells are produced).
- Malformed sperm cells
- A genetic disease such as cystic fibrosis or a chromosomal abnormality.
Female infertility factors include ;
- Ovulation disorders
- Blocked fallopian tubes, which can occur when a woman has had pelvic inflammatory disease or endometriosis
- Congenital anomalies involving the structure of the uterus and uterine fibroids
2. MYTH: Most people get pregnant very easily
FACT: Infertility affects 7.3 million people of childbearing age in the United States — about 10-15 percent of the reproductive-age population, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
3. MYTH: It’s all psychological; People just need to relax and they’ll get pregnant.
FACT: Infertility is a medical condition of the reproductive system. Stress can result from struggles with infertility, not cause it.
4. MYTH: After people adopt a baby they usually get pregnant
FACT: Studies reveal that the rate for achieving pregnancy after adopting is the same as for those who do not adopt.
5. MYTH: Adoption is the only ethical solution to infertility: it’s a lot cheaper and easier than medical treatment, and there are so many babies who need homes.
FACT: “The biological urge to have children is quite strong,” says Dr. Samuel Pang, Medical Director at the Reproductive Science Center (RSC) of New England, “The truth is that most patients we treat for infertility exhaust their options for medical treatment prior to considering adoption.” Contemporary adoption options have changed, and adoption can be more costly and time-consuming than expected. It is, however, still possible to adopt a healthy baby.
For more information on fertility and your journey to getting to your baby, our book Getting to Baby is a great resource of information and positivity to help you through this process.
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