Infertility is a growing problem worldwide. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), it affects about 48 million couples worldwide. Estimates suggest that infertility affects about 15 percent of couples in India. While advanced ART procedures such as in vitro fertilization (IVF) help many infertile couples conceive and have a biological child, many others struggle in silence due to lack of awareness. In addition, myths and misconceptions about fertility problems prevent many couples from making an informed decision to undergo fertility treatment. Understand the causes of the increase in infertility
The sharp increase in infertility rates can be attributed to more people developing underlying health problems, more couples delaying pregnancy, and many adopting poor lifestyles in recent years. Complex to understand and with a lot of information available on different platforms, there is also a lot of misinformation about fertility issues circulating across different social groups and information platforms in general. These days, it is even more important to debunk the myths surrounding infertility so that people can make much more informed decisions about the same
5 Common Infertility Myths
Myth 1: Infertility is predominantly a female problem
Fact: Women are not solely responsible for childbirth. The male partner's reproductive health is equally important when it comes to conception. Studies show that about one-third of fertility problems are caused by reproductive problems on the female end, while one-third of fertility problems are caused by various factors related to male-end fertility, while the remaining part of the problems can be caused by problems involving both s e x e s. It is high time we stop labeling infertility as a problem that only affects women, it is a human problem.
Myth 2: Ejaculation always translates into fertility in men
Fact: Men may ejaculate frequently, but there is no guarantee that they are fully fertile and enjoying good reproductive health. Despite ejaculating, men may have a low sperm count, which can reduce the chances of conception. There may be other sperm problems, such as poor sperm motility and morphology (shape). Certain medications, such as hypertension or other medical treatments, can reduce the quality of sperm, making conception more difficult.
Myth 3: Women cannot get pregnant after the age of 35
Fact: While fertility starts to decline for women after age 33-35, it doesn't completely eliminate the chance of getting pregnant. Pregnancy after 35 years may be difficult to achieve, but not impossible. In addition, if there are problems with natural conception, women can consider trying some methods of assisted reproductive technology (ART), such as IVF, which is characterized by external fertilization of an egg, which is then implanted in the uterus. Other techniques include freezing an unfertilized egg or fertilized embryo when you are still young so that it can be implanted into the uterus later in the future.
Myth 4: Contraception can cause infertility
Fact: Birth control pills simply help prevent pregnancy while you're taking them, they in no way limit your reproductive health long-term or cause infertility. Your menstrual cycle will usually return to normal within a few months of stopping the pill. However, consider scheduling an appointment with your gynecologist if you experience problems after stopping for an extended period of time.
Myth 5: Infertility is directly related to aging factors
Fact: While the chances of infertility increase with age, especially when you cross the age of 33-35, infertility can also affect men and women in their younger years, say in their twenties. Infertility in younger people can be caused by certain underlying conditions such as PC OS, endometriosis, or any other issues related to an individual's overall health. For both s e x e s, a poor lifestyle that includes excessive consumption of tobacco, smoking, alcohol coupled with poor eating habits and a sedentary lifestyle can increase the likelihood of infertility in both men and women.
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