But I Never Hear Anyone Talk About Infertility??!!
Dear Savvy Surrogate: My husband and I have been trying to conceive a baby for about a year now. We are getting ready to go to a fertility specialist. I’m feeling a little alone on this journey. How common is infertility? -Wanting a Baby
Hi, Wanting a Baby-
Let’s talk about Infertility. 1 in 6 couples will struggle with primary or secondary infertility. That’s a lot of us! (And when I say “us” I mean me too).
We need to keep the conversation going about infertility. To normalize it. To break the stigma.
So who makes up the 1 in 6? It can be any of us. Infertility strikes across all socioeconomic levels and doesn’t discriminate based on race, religion or ethnic origin.
Thank you to celebrities who have been open about their infertility struggles. This includes Michelle Obama (hey, she even wrote a book about it), Kerry Kavanaugh, Kim Kardashian, Joey Logano (the favorite NASCAR driver in my house), Kyle & Samantha Busch, Jason Aldean and so many others! You are all awesome for sharing your journeys to parenthood.
I used the word “secondary infertility.” What I mean by that are couples who have trouble conceiving their second (or third or fourth or fifth) child. This can be a big surprise for parents who had no trouble the first time around. It happens. And it sucks (almost) as much as primary infertility.
Here are some more infertility facts:
Infertility is recognized as a disease by many organizations including the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), the American Medical Association (AMA) and the World Health Organization (WHO).
Infertility can be related to either the female or male partner. There are many causes of female infertility, including absent uterus, blocked fallopian tubes, premature ovarian insufficiency, and PCOS. Male factor infertility is often related to the sperm. Did you hear that, guys?? Infertility is not just a female problem!
20% of infertility is of unknown etiology.
While infertility is common, only 3% of couples facing infertility ultimately need to use IVF. The vast majority of cases can be resolved with less complex measures (yay for the lucky ones!).
The average cost of an IVF cycle is $15,000 (yikes!).
The availability of infertility insurance can decrease the use of double embryo transfers, resulting in fewer twin and triplet pregnancies—this means fewer preemies & fewer NICU stays.
Currently, only 16 states have infertility insurance coverage laws. We are hoping to make New Hampshire the 17th (more on this later).
Gestational surrogacy is one treatment for certain types of infertility.
Gestational surrogacy can be performed using the intended mom’s eggs or donor eggs.
Want to continue the conversation about infertility? Check out (and share with your friends) our podcast, I Want To Put A Baby In You. Some of our favorite episodes to continue the conversation feature Andrea Syrtash and Ashlee Hammonds.