4 Common Myths About Infertility

Infertility has been defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a “failure to achieve a clinical pregnancy after a year or more of regular unprotected sexual intercourse.”

While that is the technical definition, what it doesn’t reveal is the sadness, the self-doubt and the toll on relationships that infertility often brings along.

As many couples find themselves having difficulty with conceiving a child, infertility is a problem that needs to be talked about more – so that people can get the help they need, rather than focus on assigning blame. Women, especially, tend to blame themselves, given that they internalize social norms where women are held most responsible for conception.

Here are some common myths about infertility:

Myth 1: Infertility is a woman’s problem

Fact: While in one third of cases, women do face problems conceiving, male infertility also accounts for another 30% of cases. In 10% of cases, there could be problems for both partners, while in the remaining cases, the reason is not clear.

Myth 2: It only happens to older couples

Fact: While younger couples have better chances of conceiving faster, and women’s fertility drops in the 30s (and especially after 35), any couple who have trouble conceiving after a year of regular, unprotected intercourse should consult a doctor. In some cases, younger women and men too may have issues because of reasons such as poor quality of eggs/sperm, or endometriosis or irregular ovulation (women).

Myth 3: It can’t be a problem if I have conceived once before

Fact: Secondary infertility, where you may have trouble conceiving a second child is quite common, partly because the mother may be older this time, or because of issues that either partner may have developed in the interim such as fibroids (for women) or deterioration in sperm quality (for men).

Myth 4: Infertility is a rare/shameful condition

Fact: Globally, approximately 1 in 8 couples will face some challenge with conceiving. There is nothing rare, unique or shameful about it. Seek help!

Getting help for Infertility

As part of an initiative to create more awareness about infertility and help people get the information they need, Nova IVI Fertility will be organizing a Twitter and Facebook chat at 3-4 PM, 8th May, 2014 where Dr. Puneet Rana Arora, a Gynaecologist and Reproductive Medicine (IVF) specialist will be answering questions on the topic of fertility, infertility and IVF treatments.

Dr. Arora brings with her a decade of experience in the National Health Service in the UK and also has a Masters in Reproductive Medicine from the University of Bristol, UK.

More details about the chat:

3-4 PM, 8^th May, 2014

Hashtag: #NovaFertility

Twitter Handle: @NovaIVIFertilit

Facebook page: Nova IVI Fertility

Follow them on Twitter or Facebook as convenient to you, and get your questions answered!

Post supported by Nova IVI Fertility

Pic credit: Tips Times (Used under a CC license)