5 MYTHS ABOUT STERILITY, IVF AND FERTILITY

5 myths about infertility, IVF and fertility

There are many misconceptions about fertility , IVF and fertility treatments in general. Infertility myths are most often believed by those ''outside the fertility community''', but some of them are believed even by people who are trying to conceive.

Here is the truth behind 5 popular myths about infertility and fertility treatment.

1. Infertility is a women's problem

Infertility is a human problem, not a women's problem. Infertility occurs in both men and women.

In heterosexual couples facing infertility:

• About one third will struggle with male infertility
• Another third will struggle with female infertility
• The remaining third will either face both male and female fertility problems or no cause will ever be found (unexplained infertility)

2. Infertility means it is impossible to get pregnant on your own

Infertility is defined as being unable to get pregnant after one year of unprotected intercourse. When a woman has not become pregnant after a year, we can say statistically that the couple falls outside the norm. We have reason to suspect that something may be wrong, even if we do not know what that "wrong" thing is.

However, people who have been diagnosed with infertility can eventually conceive without fertility treatment. The likelihood of this happening will depend on the cause of their reduced fertility, their age and how long they have been trying. The chances may be very small — less than 1 percent in some cases — but they are not necessarily zero.

Sterility is a different matter. If we say that a man or a woman is sterile, he or she is unable to conceive without medical help. An example would be a man who has a sperm count of zero, also known as azoospermia. When a structural problem causes azoospermia and sperm cannot get into the semen, the man is sterile.

An example of female sterility would be if both of a woman's fallopian tubes are completely blocked. If the egg cannot reach the uterus (and sperm cannot reach the egg), pregnancy is impossible without the help of technology.

This does not mean that, if you are subfertile (but not sterile), you should rely on these very small chances of getting pregnant. You should seek treatment if you want to conceive

3. Young men and women cannot be infertile

The older you are, the more likely you are to face infertility. However, young men and women face the same problem too. Age-related infertility is only one possible cause of reduced fertility.

According to statistics collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 9% of women aged 15 to 29 report difficulty getting pregnant. For women aged 30 to 34, this rises to 14%. For women aged 40 to 44, 16 percent report difficulty getting or staying pregnant.

4. You don't need to worry about your age. There is always IVF

People postpone pregnancy for all kinds of reasons. No one should rush into having children if they are not ready, but age is an important factor to take into account.

There is a common misconception that if age-related infertility occurs, you can always have IVF. Things are not that simple. Just as your natural fertility declines with age, your chances of success with IVF treatment also decline with age.

According to statistics collected by the CDC , 33% of IVF cycles for women under 35 resulted in the birth of a baby. For women aged 38 to 40, the success rate falls by almost half, to about 17%. For women aged 43 to 44, live birth rates per cycle were only 3 percent.

5. If you already have a child, you don't need to worry about fertility

Secondary infertility is when a couple has difficulty conceiving after having had a child in the past. Unfortunately, a previous successful pregnancy does not guarantee continued fertility.

Things change with time and age. Sometimes a new underlying medical condition develops. Sometimes an existing fertility problem gets worse. So, while it did not prevent pregnancy in the past, it has now become a problem.

Sometimes a previous pregnancy causes a new fertility problem. For example, surgical complications or an infection after childbirth can lead to scarring. This scarring can lead to infertility.

*The content of this blog is not intended to replace professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified healthcare providers with any questions you may have about medical conditions.