6 Myths of Infertility
Myth 1: you will have to undergo fertility treatment to become pregnant if you are over 35.
Fact: it is more difficult to conceive once you reach the age of 35 or older but it is not impossible.
Fertility does decrease with age but if you are unable to conceive naturally then fertility treatment can help.
Myth 2: Only women have infertility issues.
Fact: 40% of men suffer from primary infertility.
It can be a problem for men as well as women and in fact, both couples can be affected.
20% of all infertility cases are male related so men are not exempt after all.
There are many reasons for male infertility which require further investigation.
Myth 3: stress can cause infertility Fact: Infertility is a physical condition, related to the reproductive system rather than a psychological one.
If you are trying for a baby without any success then you will become stressed but this doesn't actually cause infertility.
Myth 4: daily sexual intercourse will increase your chance of becoming pregnant Fact: Sorry guys this just isn't the case.
Sperm stays active inside the woman for around 2 to 3 days following sex.
So, have sex every 36 to 48 hours around the time of ovulation rather than on a daily basis.
This is particularly important if the man has a low sperm count as he will need a day or more for it to rise to normal levels.
Myth 5: you end up giving birth to twins or triplets after fertility treatment Fact: fertility treatment can increase the likelihood of this happening but it is not a definite result.
Advances in treatment have reduced the risk of this happening and the Human Embryology and Fertilization Association (HFEA) has placed a restriction on the number of embryos that can be transferred during In-Vitro Fertilization (IVF) in order to reduce this risk.
Myth 6: if you have had a baby before then you will have no problem conceiving again Fact: Unfortunately there are no guarantees when it comes to conception.
You could naturally assume that being fertile before means that you will be able to conceive again but, sadly that is not always the case.
There is a condition called primary infertility which is experienced by couples who are trying for their first child.
And, there are some couples who are unable to conceive the second time around - known as secondary infertility.
Fact: it is more difficult to conceive once you reach the age of 35 or older but it is not impossible.
Fertility does decrease with age but if you are unable to conceive naturally then fertility treatment can help.
Myth 2: Only women have infertility issues.
Fact: 40% of men suffer from primary infertility.
It can be a problem for men as well as women and in fact, both couples can be affected.
20% of all infertility cases are male related so men are not exempt after all.
There are many reasons for male infertility which require further investigation.
Myth 3: stress can cause infertility Fact: Infertility is a physical condition, related to the reproductive system rather than a psychological one.
If you are trying for a baby without any success then you will become stressed but this doesn't actually cause infertility.
Myth 4: daily sexual intercourse will increase your chance of becoming pregnant Fact: Sorry guys this just isn't the case.
Sperm stays active inside the woman for around 2 to 3 days following sex.
So, have sex every 36 to 48 hours around the time of ovulation rather than on a daily basis.
This is particularly important if the man has a low sperm count as he will need a day or more for it to rise to normal levels.
Myth 5: you end up giving birth to twins or triplets after fertility treatment Fact: fertility treatment can increase the likelihood of this happening but it is not a definite result.
Advances in treatment have reduced the risk of this happening and the Human Embryology and Fertilization Association (HFEA) has placed a restriction on the number of embryos that can be transferred during In-Vitro Fertilization (IVF) in order to reduce this risk.
Myth 6: if you have had a baby before then you will have no problem conceiving again Fact: Unfortunately there are no guarantees when it comes to conception.
You could naturally assume that being fertile before means that you will be able to conceive again but, sadly that is not always the case.
There is a condition called primary infertility which is experienced by couples who are trying for their first child.
And, there are some couples who are unable to conceive the second time around - known as secondary infertility.
