Fertility blog

10 Myths About the Causes of Infertility

Help is available to couples who have trouble conceiving, and our fertility clinic Phoenix AZ helps people overcome infertility with a very high success rate. The first step to conquering infertility is often simply developing a better understanding of it. Here are 10 common myths about what causes infertility.

1. The woman is the problem.

Women and men both experience fertility problems. When helping couples conceive, doctors don't just look for signs of infertility in women. Both partners should visit the doctor.

2. Age causes infertility, so we should be fine.

Fertility decreases with age in both men and women, but young couples can and do have trouble conceiving. In fact, a woman's odds of getting pregnant start to decrease slightly around the age of 27.

3. He just needs different underwear.

Excessive heat such as that found in a hot tub can decrease a man's sperm count. Research has conclusively proven, however, that briefs and tight underwear that hold the testicles close to the body have no impact on male fertility. A man who prefers briefs to boxers is not damaging his sperm, which will still be viable for both traditional conception and use in artificial insemination.

4. You're just too stressed out to conceive. Relax.

Stress is not one of the signs of infertility. High stress levels can interfere with hormones and delay the release of an egg, but it doesn't cause infertility. A delayed egg release can make timing a bit trickier, but that's all it will do.

5. You're having trouble because you stayed on the pill too long.

Birth control pills use hormones to prevent ovulation. When a woman stops taking the pill, her hormone levels return to normal and the ovaries again begin releasing eggs. Birth control pills don't interfere with fertility, no matter how long you take them. Most women can conceive about a month after stopping the pill.

6. Lifestyle choices don't cause infertility. It's simply luck of the draw.

Women who are extremely underweight or overweight with a BMI of 30 or more often have trouble conceiving. Overweight men, too, often experience fertility problems. A healthy weight and balanced diet will help you conceive. So can quitting smoking, avoiding alcohol and refraining from illicit drug use. Medications and medical conditions like diabetes play a role too, so talk to your doctor. Restoring fertility is sometimes as simple as a medication change.

7. You waited too long to have children.

Fertility does decrease with age, but people have healthy babies well into their forties and sometimes beyond. Even if age makes natural conception difficult, older couples often have great success turning to affordable IVF.

8. You just don't have sex enough.

More sex does mean more opportunities to get pregnant, but you need not force the issue or have sex every day to conceive. Healthy sperm in viable cervical fluid can survive up to five days, and women can get pregnant up to five days before and two days after ovulating. Sex every other day is a good idea when trying to conceive, but all the sex in the world won't solve fertility issues.

9. Vasectomy reversals never work. You just can't have a baby now.

It's true that The longer a man waits to have a vasectomy reversed, the lower the odds are that the procedure will work to restore fertility. A vasectomy reversal can provide a more than 50 percent chance of fathering a child, however, so never assume a vasectomy ruined your fertility forever.

10. Infertility is genetic, especially in men.

This myth is common but illogical. There are some genetic conditions that affect fertility, but if infertility were always genetic, you probably wouldn't be here today. Infertile families would fail to produce any heirs and the genetic traits that cause infertility wouldn't be passed on, eventually phasing out of the gene pool.

Conclusion

Whatever the reasons for infertility, many people believe that seeking the help of a fertility clinic always results in multiple births or IVF. These beliefs are myths too, however. Your options for treating infertility vary greatly and may include IVF. Other options are plentiful, however, and include lifestyle changes, artificial insemination and even embryo adoption. Getting help may also cost less than you fear if you find a cheap gynecologist who is more interested in helping infertile couples than getting rich off of them. If you're struggling with infertility, reach out and learn about all the options available to you. You may be pleasantly surprised.

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