Common infertility misconceptions

Infertility is a reproductive disease – a medical condition that affects millions worldwide. And yet, it is often suffered in silence and widely misunderstood. While awareness has grown in recent years, there are still many misconceptions about infertility that persist.

Here’s some common infertility misconceptions.

1.     Infertility only happens as you age

There are many causes of infertility including endometriosis, male infertility, the endometrium lining and PCOS. While your egg reserve does decline with age, women of all ages can experience infertility.

When you first start your fertility journey, a specialist will test your AMH. The Anti-Mullerian Hormone (AMH) blood test is the level of AMH in your blood and helps predict approximately how many eggs you have left. However many women can show a healthy egg reverse and still have difficulty conceiving. There can be many reasons for this. For example, it may be the endometrium lining. A thin endometrium lining isn’t due to your age; it’s often genetic and difficult to treat. For some women with a thin lining, the only option is gestational surrogacy.

2.     It’s mainly a female issue

Many people assume infertility is only a women’s issue, but that’s not true. Around 40% of infertility cases are due to male factors, 50% to female factors, and 10% is a combination of both. Despite this, stigma around male infertility remains strong, leaving many men feeling ashamed or isolated.

3.     Stress causes infertility

Anyone experiencing infertility has heard, “You just need to relax”, “Take a holiday” or “It will happen when you stop thinking about it.” Comments like these are hurtful and dismissive. If only falling pregnant was as simple as relaxing or taking a holiday. A lot more awareness is needed to debunk this myth. Stress reduction can support your wellbeing, but it does not treat infertility.

4.     Women can’t get pregnant after 35

While fertility does start to decrease with age, there is no sudden “fertility cliff” at 35. Declines become steeper around 38 and again at 40, but many women conceive naturally or with assistance beyond these ages. Options such as surrogacy, egg donation and sperm donation also expand pathways to parenthood. 

5.     You just need to be fit and healthy to conceive

Plenty of people conceive easily regardless of their health, while some of the fittest individuals struggle. Being in good physical and mental shape can help with resilience and overall wellbeing, but it does not guarantee fertility.

6.     Having a child means you won’t have any fertility issues in the future

Sadly, this isn’t true for everyone. About 1 in 10 women experience secondary infertility –

difficulty conceiving or carrying a pregnancy after previously having a child without issues.

7.     IVF guarantees a child

Sadly, this also isn’t true. While many people expect IVF to solve all fertility issues quickly, the reality is that it often takes several IVF transfers before achieving a viable pregnancy. IVF is an incredible tool, but it rarely works on the first attempt. Setting realistic expectations can make the journey more manageable.  

#article featured in Wish for a Baby Australia