Infertility’s emotional toll

Infertility isn’t just a medical diagnosis – it’s an emotional, life-changing situation that can take a toll on marriages and unnerve even the most laid-back people.

Couples can’t predict that they’ll be targeted by infertility.  Genetics and age are only a few of the factors that play a role.

Common factors influencing a woman’s fertility include Polycystic ovarian syndrome, endometriosis and anatomical abnormalities that prevent fertilization.  Common factors influencing male fertility include low or abnormal sperm count.

These common factors make up 40% of all cases of infertility for both men and women, respectively.

However, the remaining 20% of infertility cases have an unexplained origin.  That makes treatment difficult.

It’s these patients who may suffer the most.  Though assisted reproduction medical technology has progressed greatly in the past decades, sometimes infertility cannot be overcome.

In addition to medical conditions associated with infertility, lifestyle practices may also influence fertility.  For example, being either underweight or overweight can cause people to have decreased fertility.  Sometimes, losing weight may be enough to help restore a woman’s fertility.

Stefanie Fink struggled with infertility at the seemingly young age of 29.  In an effort to conceive, she underwent a number of fertility treatments.  To help promote the treatments, her doctor suggested that she lose “a lot of weight.”  She lost 50 pounds and eventually gave birth to her daughter Ava.  Read her story here.