Beating The Baby Blues (NAPSA)—Whether you’re walking down a street, attending a social function or shopping in a mall, pregnant women and new parents pushing carriages are everywhere. Or at least that’s how it can seem to the nearly 6.1 million American men and women whosuffer from infertility. For manycouples, being unable to conceive a child can cloud their enjoymentof everyday life—and of each other. “Infertility can cause more emotional damage than many other medical conditions,” said Eduardo Kelly, Vice President, Medical Affairs, Reproductive Health, Serono, Inc. “Often, couples feel isolated and begin to avoid social settings, friends and relatives—they suffer in silence.” The stress can cause partners to blame each other and can be heightened by the difficulty of choosing treatment from the manyavailable options. But couples struggling with infertility can beat the “baby blues” by communicating with each other, seeking support from others in the samesituation, and ensuring that they get the most up-to-date information about the causes, diagnosis and treatment of infertility. Separating fact from fiction can ease some of their stress—and remind them that help is available. “Recent medical advances can help most infertile couples succeed in having a baby,” says Dr. Kelly. Myth:Infertility is a woman’s problem. Fact: Infertility occurs equally in men and women. Male factors and female factors each account Infertility Myths: Infertility is a woman’s problem Age is not an important factorin infertility Yourfertility health is not affected by your overall health Treatment doesn’t work @ Treatmentisn’t covered by insurance for about a third of infertility problems. The remaining third are either a combination of male and female factors or are unexplained. Both partners should be tested to discover where the problem lies. Myth: Age is not an important factor in infertility. Fact: Fertility levels decrease with age, especially in women. A healthy 30-year-old woman has about a 20 percent chance of getting pregnant each month, while a 40-year-old’s chances drop to about five percent a month. Many women don’t realize that their fertility begins to decline in their late 20s or early 30s. Currently, 20 percent of womenin the United States have their first child after age 35, which means many couples are already fighting the odds when they begin trying to get pregnant. Fertility specialists recommend that couples begin thinking about their “fertility health” long before they attempt to conceive. Myth: Your fertility health is not affected by your overall health. Fact: Several risk factors may affect your fertility. Smoking, obesity, multiple sex partners, sexually transmitted diseases, surgical procedures, polyps, fibroids, exposure to chemicals, excessively high temperatures, and side effects from cancer treatments— all can causeinfertility. By avoiding behaviors that put you at risk, and voicing your concerns with your physician, you may beable to ensure your fertility health by identifying potential issues early. It’s important for women and men to take stock of their fertility health even before they begin trying to get pregnant. Myth: Treatment doesn’t work. Fact: Scientific advancements over the past three decades have helped millions of men and women overcome problems with fertility. Treatments ranging from drugs to advanced procedures are achieving unprecedented success. New, effective treatments are individually tailored to the needs of the patient and have eliminated many of the consequences of earlier treatments. Myth: Treatment isn’t covered by insurance. Fact: A growing number of insurers offer benefits for infertility treatments, and 15 states have enacted some form of infertility insurance legislation. More are likely to follow. Contact your insurance com- pany in writing and request written determination of your coverage before starting any treatment or procedure. If you’re concerned about your fertility health, talk to a fertility specialist to learn about your options. To find out more about infertility treatments, visit www.serono fertility.com or call Serono tollfree at 1-866-LETS-TRY.
