If a couple is infertile, this means that they have been unable to conceive a child after twelve months of regular sexual intercourse without birth control. Infertility affects approximately 6, 100, 000 individuals throughout the United States
Hollywood has taken a lot of slack for showcasing older stars who have conceived. The stories often omit that many of these women had IVF or donor eggs in order to have children. At the same time celebrities have made fertility treatment all the more popular and mainstream.
Dr. Lori L. Arnold of La Jolla IVF said that the number of patients seeking IVF treatment has tripled in her fifteen years of practice, and she’s seeing more patients in their twenties. “Ten years ago the average age of a patient was thirty-two to thirty-eight, now patients are in their twenties and forties.” Arnold credits the web, and recent media reports for educating the public about their options. Dr. Arnold said that there have been several advances in IVF since it began back in 1978. Pre-Implantational Genetic Diagnosis (PGD) is a chromosomal analysis of an embryo before it is implanted in the mother. Only “normal” embryos will be transferred during IVF, eliminating any embryos with extra chromosomal material (as with down syndrome).
Dr. Arnold says the in vitro fertilization process takes about two months since several tests have to be performed on the male and female. Men have to undergo a semen analysis. Women undergo a litany of tests: an evaluation of their ovulation and a hormonal assessment of their egg quality, a hysterosalpingogram exam to see if their tubes are blocked, as well as a pelvic ultrasound test to evaluate the woman’s uterine health and ovaries. Dr. Arnold charges a modest fee of $5,900 for IVF, compared to other fertility doctors who charge up to $20,000 for the same procedure. Insurance typically does not cover fertility treatment and medication.
Dr. Arnold has delivered thousands of babies, and said the most important message for women of all ages is “ideally try to conceive before the age of thirty-five, and to never give up hope while trying.” The general rule of thumb is to seek a fertility specialist immediately if you’ve been trying to conceive without success for twelve months. 80 percent of infertility cases can be remedied. There are only a small percentage of people who cannot have children. It’s what doctors refer to as “unexplained infertility.” Infertility can be very isolating.
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