November 6, 2017

CONCEIVING CHILDREN: PROCESS AND CHOICE

I wrote this journal for one of my college classes at SLCC but I thought I would add it to the blog as well for memories. Enjoy! 




For this essay I chose to research on Infertility, according to the book, infertility is the inability to achieve pregnancy after at least 1 years of regular sexual relations without birth control or the ability to carry a pregnancy to a live birth. For this topic, I thought it would be interesting to research more about it online due to so many of close friends that have experienced infertility. Initially I thought it was all the same, but there are different types of infertility. Primary infertility is defined as a woman has never conceived even though she wants to and has had regular sexual relations in the past 12 months, while Secondary Infertility is when the woman has previously conceived but is currently unable to do so even though and has had sexual relations in the past 12 months. 

While researching more about what causes infertility as well as who is affected by it; I came across a few National Surveys: 1 in 8 couples (or 12% married women) have trouble getting pregnant or sustaining a pregnancy. While 7.4 million women, or 11.9% of women have never received any infertility services in their lifetime. Also, approximately 10 to 15% of couples in the United States are infertile. (Department of Health and Human Services, USA)

What I have also found out is that many cases of infertility are treatable. It does depend on what the diagnosis is, as it can vary case by case. In certain couples it could only be one of them that has this issue, or it could be a combination of factors such a low sperm count, ovulation disorder, blocked fallopian tubes, endometriosis, PCOS (Polycystic ovary syndrome), and combination infertility. Another interesting fact is that of all the couples diagnosed with infertility, 15% are diagnosed with unexplained infertility. (Natural Fertility Info, 2017)

Even though infertility is a sensitive topic to talk about there are a lot of options out there for couples that after being diagnosed still can’t conceive. For example, IVF or In Vitro Fertilization treatments, artificial insemination, donor sperm, donor eggs, surrogacy, and reproductive Surgery. Unfortunately, the treatments above can cost a lot for the couple wanting to conceive. I found that there are non-profit organizations that will rally for this good cause and donate the money to a deserving couple in the beginning process of treatments.

In conclusion, being diagnosed with infertility can be devastating for someone; but I’m happy to have found a lot of research online on the subject. There is no better time than now to educate others about this and how to get help.


Works Cited
Knox, D., & Milstein, S. (2017). Human Sexuality: Making Informed Decisions (5th ed.) [with Salt Lake Community College supplement]. Redding, CA: BVT Publishing.