World Infertility Awareness Month is represented every June and this year we are helping spread awareness by discussing this disease and answering questions for those who may not fully comprehend just how wide spread infertility is.
What is infertility?
Infertility is a disease that affects the reproductive system of both women and men. It is defined by the failure to achieve a pregnancy after 12 months or longer of trying to conceive through regular unprotected sexual intercourse. One misconception about infertility is that if a couple has been able to achieve pregnancy in the past, they can’t face infertility in the future. This is untrue, as there are many couples who have faced infertility following a previous pregnancy, which is called secondary infertility.
What causes infertility?
When it comes to what causes infertility, the list can by long and wide and cover a range of possible reasons.
For women, infertility can be caused by failure to ovulate, infections, structural problems of the reproductive system, tubal disorders, uterine disorders, disorders of the endocrine system and more.
Infertility can be caused for men by low sperm production, abnormal sperm function, blockages, chronic health problems, injuries, lifestyle choices and more.
For both women and men, the cause of infertility can be a wide range of things and to fully understand the cause for a specific person it is recommended to see a fertility doctor. With visiting a fertility doctor, the doctor will be able to examine the patient, run tests and work to pinpoint the cause.
Infertility by the numbers
The reason behind World Infertility Awareness Month is to bring awareness to infertility and shed light on just how common this disease is. Below we have shared some common statistics on infertility:
- 1 in 5 (19%) – This is the percentage of heterosexual women aged 15 to 49 years in the US, with no prior births, who are unable to get pregnant after trying for 12 months. (1)
- 15% – This is the percentage of reproductive-aged couples worldwide who are affected by infertility (2)
- 48,000,000 – The number of couples estimated to be living with infertility in the world. (3)
- 186,000,000 – The number of individuals living with infertility globally. (3)
- 10% – The percentage as reported by women in the US between the ages of 15 to 44 to have suffered from infertility. (4)
- 9% – The percentage as reported by men in the US between the ages of 15 to 44 to have suffered from infertility. (4)
- 30/30/30/10 – This is the ratio of where infertility is attributed (30% of infertility cases can be attributed solely to the female, 30% solely to the male, 30% attributed to both the female and male and 10% with unknown attribution. (4)
How can you help?
Thanks to the advancements in medicine and more specifically infertility treatment, there are ways people can assist those suffering from infertility achieve the dream of starting a family.
Surrogacy – For women interested in surrogacy, becoming a surrogate mother can be one of the most selfless acts and amazing gifts you can give to someone who is currently faced with infertility. Your decision to be their surrogate can be their answer at starting a family. With that said, becoming a surrogate should not be a decision taken lightly and we recommend anyone interested to read more about the surrogacy process and becoming a surrogate section of our site.
Egg Donation – Another way women can help those struggling to start a family due to infertility is by becoming an egg donor. At Creative Love Egg Donor & Surrogacy Agency we have worked with many egg donors throughout the years and have seen the gift of egg donation come full circle and turn into blessings for those suffering from infertility.
Sperm Donation – For men interested in assisting those suffering from infertility, becoming a sperm donor can be extremely helpful to couples where the male, or both male and female, are experience infertility.
Struggling with infertility?
If you are struggling with infertility, it is important to know that there are options out there. Thanks to advancements in medicine, depending on what is causing the infertility, there are treatment options. In addition to treatment options, and for couples who have already tried treatment for their infertility to no avail, there are agencies such as our agency, Creative Love, who specialize in helping start families through surrogacy and egg donation.
If you are interested in learning more about Creative Love Egg Donor & Surrogacy Agency and what we can offer, we would love to speak with you. You can contact us here or give us a call at 954-776-9878.
