Check out 16 Return-To-Work Programs In India For Ambitious Women Like You!
As many couples find themselves having difficulty with conceiving a child, infertility is a problem that needs to be talked about more
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:
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.
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).
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).
Fact: Globally, approximately 1 in 8 couples will face some challenge with conceiving. There is nothing rare, unique or shameful about it. Seek help!
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, 8th 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)
Guest Bloggers are those who want to share their ideas/experiences, but do not have a profile here. Write to us at [email protected] if you have a special situation (for e.g. want read more...
Stay updated with our Weekly Newsletter or Daily Summary - or both!
Neena was the sole caregiver of Amma and though one would think that Amma was dependent on her, Neena felt otherwise.
Neena inhaled the aroma that emanated from the pan and took a deep breath. The aroma of cumin interspersed with butter transported her back to the modest kitchen in her native village. She could picture her father standing in the kitchen wearing his white crisp kurta as he made delectable concoctions for his only daughter.
Neena grew up in a home where both her parents worked together in tandem to keep the house up and running. She had a blissful childhood in her modest two-room house. The house was small but every nook and cranny gave her memories of a lifetime. Neena’s young heart imagined that her life would follow the same cheerful course. But how wrong she was!
When she was sixteen, the catastrophic clutches of destiny snatched away her parents. They passed away in a road accident and Neena was devastated. Relatives thronged her now gloomy house and soon it was decided that she should be married off.
Women today don’t want to be in a partnership that complicates their lives further. They need an equal partner with whom they can figure out life as a team, playing by each other’s strengths.
We all are familiar with that one annoying aunty who is more interested in our marital status than in the dessert counter at a wedding. But these aunties have somehow become obsolete now. Now they are replaced by men we have in our lives. Friends, family, and even work colleagues. It’s the men who are worried about why we are not saying yes to one among their clans. What is wrong with us? Aren’t we scared of dying alone? Like them?
A recent interaction with a guy friend of mine turned sour when he lectured me about how I would regret not getting married at the right time. He lectured that every event in our lives needs to be completed within a certain timeframe set by society else we are doomed. I wasn’t angry. I was just disappointed to realize that annoying aunties are rapidly doubling in our society. And they don’t just appear at weddings or family functions anymore. They are everywhere. They are the real pandemic.
Let’s examine this a little closer.
Please enter your email address