Infertility: what you need to know
Infertility is an extremely isolating experience. This is exacerbated because infertility and the death of a child are taboo subjects. As a society we have difficulty in dealing with these sad experiences.
One in 6 people in Australia suffer from the debilitating impact of infertility and childlessness. However, there are medical and social choices available to help them deal with infertility.
Some infertility facts
- A couple is regarded as infertile when they have not conceived after 12 months of regular unprotected sexual intercourse.
- About 15 per cent of Australian couples of reproductive age have a fertility problem.
- Infertility is not just a female problem. In about 40 per cent of infertile couples, the problem is a male factor, in about 40 per cent it is a female one, and for the remaining 20 per cent it is a joint problem, or the cause is unknown ('idiopathic').
- The causes of infertility are many and varied. They include problems with the production of sperm or eggs, with the Fallopian tubes or the uterus, endometriosis, frequent miscarriage, as well as hormonal and autoimmune (antibody) disorders in both men and women.
- Treatments for infertility are many and varied. Treatments include surgery on the Fallopian tubes to fix blockages, hormone treatments for men and women, insemination of the woman with donor sperm or sometimes her partner's sperm, IVF and related treatments such as GIFT. Some people try natural treatments, such as herbs, acupuncture and meditation. Some couples will opt to create a family by adoption, others choose to remain without children.
- 'Just relaxing' or taking a holiday does not cure 'infertility'. For 20 per cent of couples there is no proven medical cause. 'Unexplained' infertility is just that — it means that we're not yet able to find the cause. There is no evidence to suggest that stress causes infertility. There is plenty of evidence, however, that infertility causes stress.
- How long does it 'normally' take to become pregnant? Three out of 5 couples conceive within 6 months of trying; one in 4 take between 6 months and a year. For the rest, conception takes more than a year which means that there may be a problem.
Last Reviewed: 01 March 2007
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