Q: I have cervical factor infertility and have never had a positive pregnancy test in five years of unprotected sex, and we had one insemination with injectables that failed. Now that we have adopted, I do not want to get pregnant. My husband and I are wondering if we should use birth control. What do you think?
A: Absolutely, you should use contraception if you do not want to become pregnant. Otherwise you may be in for an unwelcome surprise as unlikely as it seems. Cervical factor is a relative, not an absolute barrier to fertility, so women with cervical factor do occasionally become pregnant on their own without any treatment even after long periods of infertility. Inseminations should overcome cervical factor because the insemination bypasses the cervix, but you did only one cycle and the chance of a pregnancy in one cycle of injectables plus inseminations is no more than 30 percent even if you are at your peak fertility (thirty years old or younger and with no other infertility problems).
Additionally, anyone who works in the field of infertility can recount instances where couples adopted and then unexpectedly conceived. Is it because these couples were no longer so focused on their infertility and associated treatment so their focus changed to the needs of the new member of the family (and they relaxed)? Is it that the arrival of the new addition has been a stress reliever? We know that infertility is very stressful and stress can be a negative factor when a couple is trying to conceive. Is it just coincidence? I don’t think anyone can say why some women conceive spontaneously very quickly after adopting a child, but they do, so be careful.
Fertile Thoughts is published monthly. Each column features a real question from a reader, and we invite other readers to respond with their thoughts and insights by posting comments. If you have a question for Dr. Carlene Elsner, please send it to her care of the editor at laura@realgirlsmedia.com. Your question will be kept in the strictest of confidence.
PREVIOUS PAGE
