The inability to give birth to a child when desired is a very personal and stressful experience. With so much information about fertility, it can be difficult to determine what is true or false. Here are a few misconceptions explained. Though medical science has brought about a rapidly growing number of interventions and technologies to assist individuals toward pregnancy, much of this is misunderstood.
When a couple is unable to conceive naturally, they should seek fertility treatment to understand and address the root cause of the problem and undergo necessary treatment rather than subjecting themselves to guilt and depression.
- Myth: Infertility is Mainly a Female Problem
- Fact: Most people assume infertility is a female problem. However, this can affect both men and women. About 30% of all cases of infertility are female generated, another 30% are male, and other times it’s both. Inability to conceive can be caused by many different factors including ovulation disorders, ejaculation disorders, low sperm count, issues with cervical mucus etc.
- Myth: Quit your job While trying to get pregnant
- Fact: There is no evidence that stress is related to infertility. Studies have looked at stress for this connection and haven’t found it. Unless your job is causing very severe stress—to the level that it’s affecting your regular cycle—keep working and find healthy ways to manage your stress.
- Myth: Infertile Couples Cannot Have Children
- Fact: Just as there are many different factors that cause infertility, there are many different ways to treat it. Couples facing infertility may be advised to make certain lifestyle changes to improve their fertility rate. If this does not help, medication may be prescribed to stimulate ovulation and increase sperm count. In the case of structural issues such as endometriosis that may be causing infertility, surgery can help correct the problem. If these methods do not work or if a case cannot be ascertained for infertility, IVF may be tried.
- Myth: In vitro fertilization (IVF) is the only option for infertility
- Fact: Although in vitro fertilization (IVF) may have achieved popular notoriety, it is certainly not the only option, nor is it necessarily always the best option for treating infertility. The most important step in the infertility investigation is to identify the cause or causes of infertility; which is not always a simple task. Other treatments including timed intercourse, ovarian stimulation, and artificial insemination, are important alternatives to IVF.
- Myth: We’ve already had one child, so there shouldn’t be any problem having another.
- Fact: Your body might have undergone a lot of changes since the last time you got pregnant and had a baby. If nothing else, you’re older now, and age has an impact on fertility. Secondary infertility is real, and it can be an even lonelier journey.
- Myth: Fertility treatments cause multiple births.
- Fact: While some treatments can increase the likelihood of twins, triplets and higher-order births, not all do and advances in treatments and techniques can help reduce risks. It is important to talk through this concern with your doctor.
- Myth: Relaxing Can Cure Infertility
- Fact: The only instances in which relaxing can cure infertility are ones in which the couple is so stressed out with work and other aspects of their life that they do not have a chance to have sexual intercourse. However, stress is not the only factor that causes infertility. In cases of infertility caused by PCOS, ovulation disorders, low sperm count, etc. relaxing will have no effect on fertility. In such cases, medical help is the only thing that can help.
- Myth: There is a higher risk of abnormalities in babies born through IVF
- Fact: There is no difference in the risk of congenital abnormalities between babies born through IVF and those naturally conceived. There is a higher risk in cases where the woman is over 35 years of age or there is a history of specific genetic disorders like, thalassemia, certain types of Muscular Dystrophy etc. In such cases advanced ART techniques like Preimplantation Genetic Testing – Aneuploidy (PGT-A), Preimplantation Genetic Testing – Monogenic (PGT-M) and Preimplantation Genetic Testing – Structural Rearrangement (PGT-SR) allow accurate detection of chromosomal errors in the embryo or specific genetic abnormality before the transfer. This increases the chances of a healthy and chromosomally normal baby.
- Myth: IVF pregnancies always lead to Caesarean section delivery
- Fact: An IVF pregnancy is no different from a natural one, and the need for a C-section may arise because of certain complications in pregnancy that may occur even with natural conception, and not because of IVF.
However, women conceiving following IVF may be older and the babies conceived through ART are considered ‘Precious Babies’ because they are a result of a battle against long-standing years of infertility. This may be the reason why some couples opt for a planned or elective Caesarean delivery rather than taking a risk with vaginal birth.
Myths can be tantalizing tidbits that provide not much else than psychological setbacks. If you suspect that you are suffering from infertility, have yourself formally diagnosed. With the right treatment, you can grow your family healthily without losing any more time. Book an appointment with your trusted doctor at Aaradhya Fertility at
Author Info
No Comments