Infertility: FACT vs MYTH

Infertility is a common disease process that affects 10-15% of the couples within the U.S. who are within the childbearing age. It is also very common worldwide. In recent years, tremendous progress has occurred in the diagnosis and treatment of infertility. We can do much more today than we could a few years ago. In spite of this misinformation regarding the subject abounds. These myths create barriers to the timely diagnosis and treatment of infertility.The truth is that most cases can be rapidly diagnosed and effectively treated. Treatment does not have to cost thousands of dollars. Also in spite of the image given in the press, most patients will not have multiple pregnancies.

MYTH #1

Stress causes infertility.

This is usually not the case. In fact infertility and its treatment causes a great deal of stress rather than vice versa. Saying that stress causes infertility is a way of trivializing the problem.

MYTH #2

Infertility treatment is expensive.

In some cases it can be. In many cases, it is simple, brief and inexpensive. The sooner patients are seen and treated the more likely basic treatment will succeed. Timely treatment can also minimize cost.

MYTH #3

Treatment always causes multiples.

Some treatments such as ovulation drugs or in vitro fertilization do predispose to multiples. They do so to a much lesser degree than is commonly thought. For instance use of Clomid or Serophene increase the natural multiple pregnancy rate from 1.5% to 7%.

MYTH #4

Friends, family, newspapers, T.V., and the internet are always accurate sources of information.

Accurate diagnosis and treatment is the way to go! Myths and misinformation are what we need to grow beyond. Many who put forth the effort will succeed. 

Article Repost via http://www.cincinnatifertility.com

Infertility Increases Risk of Serious Psychiatric Illness

Infertility Increases Risk of Serious Psychiatric Illness


Published: July 16, 2012Multiple small studies have demonstrated a link between infertility and psychological distress, reporting high rates of anxiety and depressive symptoms among women with infertility. These studies have evaluated psychiatric symptoms or psychological distress; however, less is known about the prevalence of more significant psychiatric disorders in this population.

Data from the largest study to date of women with infertility was recently presented at the annual meeting of ESHRE (European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology) by Dr. Birgitte Baldur-Felskov.

Danish investigators were able to examine the records of 98,737 Danish women evaluated for infertility between 1973 and 2008. They found that women who remained childless after their first investigation for infertility had more hospitalizations for psychiatric illness than women who had at least one child following their investigation. The most common discharge diagnoses were “anxiety, adjustment and obsessive compulsive disorders” followed by “affective disorders including depression.”
In another study (also from Denmark), investigators examine a cohort of 51,221 women with primary or secondary infertility who had been referred to hospitals or private fertility clinics in Denmark between 1973 and 1998. Each woman was followed from the date of her initial fertility evaluation until 2006.

In this study, they discovered that women who did not have a child after initial fertility evaluation had a greater than twofold risk of suicide (HR: 2.43; 95% CI: 1.38-3.71) than women who had at least one child after evaluation. Women with secondary infertility, i.e. women who had a child before a fertility evaluation but did not succeed in having another child after evaluation, also had an increased risk for suicide (HR: 1.68; 95% CI, 0.82-3.41), although this finding was not statistically significant.

These two reports extend our understanding of the impact of infertility and its treatment on risk for serious psychiatric illness. While future studies will help to determine which women are the most vulnerable to illness in this setting, these two large studies highlight the need for adequate screening for psychiatric illness and appropriate interventions in women who are evaluated for infertility.

[Mike Berkley writes: Acupuncture and herbal medicine have been shown to effective treatment modalitites for anxiety and depression.]







Ruta Nonacs, MD PhD



Kjaer TK, Jensen A, Dalton SO, et al. Suicide in Danish women evaluated for fertility problems. Hum Reprod. 2011;26(9):2401-7.



Read more: Childless Women With Fertility Problems at Higher Risk of Hospitalization for Psychiatric Disorders (Science Daily)