According to the American Society of Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), Infertility is the result of a disease of the male or female reproductive system which prevents the conception of a child or the ability to carry a pregnancy to delivery. A couple will be asked to undergo an infertility evaluation if they fail to conceive a child with unprotected intercourse for about 12 months unless medical history, age, or physical findings dictate earlier evaluation and treatment.
Although there is so much emphasis on women and infertility, it affects both men and women equally. One in eight couples go through infertility and out of these one third is due to the female factor, one third is due to the male factor and the remaining one third is a combination factor or is unexplained.
Infertility is something many people don’t prepare for as no tests are yet available to reveal this at an earlier age. People often feel blindsided when they are referred to fertility specialists with a failed pregnancy or miscarriage; many times it’s emotional as well. Infertility also tends to be a taboo subject in our society and people experiencing it often find it hard to talk to others. Many just don’t have an awareness and a general understanding of the effects of this problem. Because of this the general public doesn’t know how to support others going through infertility and may say something that can really sting. I have seen that is often the case for people with infertility. They struggle in silence and want to keep their suffering to themselves.
It’s really important to find someone who truly understands, and better yet, has gone through infertility. They can provide support and, most importantly, help you move forward amidst the hardships involved with treatments, its results, emotional triggers, relationship challenges, etc.
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About Our Author
Pradeepa Narayanaswamy is an International Coaching Federation-Certified Professional Coach
and a Certified Professional Co-Active Coach with over eight years of coaching experience. Her
long, lonely and painful struggles for 11 years with infertility included three miscarriages, three
IUI failures and eight back-to-back IVF failures before Pradeepa was diagnosed with
“unexplained infertility.” Pradeepa then made it her life’s purpose to coach women, men and
couples going through infertility struggles.
