The Costs of Infertility

Being infertile can cause a lot of pain for couples who desperately want to have children. There are options for these couples, if they want to pursue them, but sometimes the costs may outweigh the benefits.

There are several options available to couples. Many of these are covered, at least in part, by health insurance.

[b]Intrauterine Insemination (IUI)[/b]

IUI, also called artificial insemination is one of the less expensive methods of treatment in infertile couples. It is also one of the initial treatments in trying to achieve pregnancy. Doctors usually recommend a three to four month period to try these treatments. At a cost of around $800 – $900 each, these treatments are a reasonable choice for women under age 41, but are not effective in other situations such as tube blockage or endometriosis.

[b]Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI)[/b]

ICSI is used when infertility problems originate with the male, and is a form of in vitro fertilization. It costs around $1500 per treatment and is performed under a microscope. There is some speculation that this form of fertilization has a higher risk of birth defects.

[b]Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD)/b]

PGD is performed prior to in vitro fertilization to screen embryos for genetic defects and thus ensure a more viable fetus through the term of the pregnancy. This procedure costs around $3500 to perform, but if one or both parents have a certain genetic abnormality, it can have its pros in spite of the higher cost.

[b]In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)[/b]

IVF is the most expensive fertility treatment available. It is perhaps the most invasive as well due to the conditions that have to be met, such as hormone injections and egg harvesting. Its price tag goes from around $8000 to as high as $15,000 per treatment. It is used mainly when the woman has problems with her fallopian tubes, but can be effective with male infertility as well.

These are the costs associated with infertility as far as dollars go. But there are other costs associated with infertility that can go much deeper than the material. The emotional side to infertility is a painful one for women who want to have children but can not conceive. Some women see infertility as a sign of weakness or defect in their own makeup. Some can’t feel complete without having a child to nurture and raise.

Other costs associated with infertility include the massive amounts of hormone shots the woman must go through before getting treatment. These increased hormones affect daily activities and can put a strain on the best of marriages. The risk of birth defects and other complications is another cost to consider with infertility problems. These questions can also put added stress on the couple as they consider their next move. If a treatment fails, the couple must decide whether or not to go through the process again. Even if they can afford the procedures, they often wonder if it is worth the toll on their lives, especially if they keep facing failure.

A couple faced with infertility issues must count many costs when considering what procedures are best for them. It is important to weigh all costs when considering any infertility treatment. In the end, however, the success of having a healthy child can make all these costs worth every penny.


What Is Infertility? How To Know If You're Infertile

If you’re trying to get pregnant but haven’t succeeded, you might be asking yourself whether you or your partner could be infertile. You may also be wondering, what is infertility, anyway?

What Is Infertility?

The most common definition of infertility is an inability to conceive during 6-24 months of regular and unprotected sex. Infertility is also used to describe the inability to produce viable eggs or sperm. Infertility can refer to women who, while they can get pregnant, cannot maintain the pregnancy for the entire term.

One or both partners may be physically or biologically unable to contribute to or participate in the process of conception, pregnancy, and birth. Infertility can describe women who’ve been pregnant in the past, or even had children, but are now having a problem getting pregnant.

Infertility can be used to refer to women who’ve had two or more recurrent miscarriages without completing the pregnancy in either case. Although 25% of pregnancies terminate in miscarriage, two successive miscarriages occur in fewer than 5% of pregnancies, and three miscarriages in a row occur in only 1% of pregnancies.

Sterility is not the same as infertility. Sterility means that there are no eggs or no sperm. Infertility means that, while there can be eggs and sperm, some additional condition is preventing conception, pregnancy, and birth. Infertility means a diminished, but possibly reversible, capacity to conceive. Sterility means conception is impossible.

How Common Is Infertility?

Infertility occurs in some 15% of women who try to get pregnant, but are unsuccessful after one year. Of the unsuccessful 15%, an additional 10% conceive within 12 more months. Only 5% of women fail to become pregnant after two years of regular and unprotected sex, but 25% of them will eventually become pregnant.

What Causes Infertility?

The Mayo Clinic reports that in 40-50% of cases, infertility results from a problem with the woman. In about 20% of cases, infertility is related to a problem with the man. In 30% of cases, there’s a combination of male and female problems, or a problem of indeterminate origin.

The possible causes of infertility include the following.

(1) Eggs are either not released, released sporadically, or are damaged in some way.

(2) Scarring or submucosal fibroids, which are benign tumors, are causing blockages

(3) Endometrial cells that line the uterus are growing elsewhere, causing blockages.

(4) Trying to conceive after reversing a previous sterilization procedure, like tubal ligation.

(5) Chemotherapy or radiation treatments, long-term use of anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen, or illegal drug use.

(6) Obesity or being overweight, together with a sedentary lifestyle.

(7) A vegan diet that’s deficient in iron, folic acid, zinc, and vitamin B-12.

(8) Being older than 33.

(9) Smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol.

(10) Health problems unrelated to reproduction, which nonetheless affect fertility.

(11) Sexually transmitted diseases.

(12) Exposure to herbicides, pesticides, lead, or solvents.

If you’re under 33 and you’ve been trying to get pregnant for at least one year without success, it would be wise to visit your doctor and get checked out. Women over 33 who haven’t gotten pregnant within six months are advised to visit a physician. Your partner should be checked out as well. While there are many options for infertility treatments, a thorough physical exam for both partners is the best place to start.


Infertility Stress

For many women, nothing is worse than infertility. After making the decision to try and have a baby, hitting wall after wall each month can be a devastating experience. After months and maybe even years of trying, it can seem hopeless. Often, women who experience infertility feel less like women and often feel isolated, depressed, and hopeless.

This of course can take its toll on a relationship and can even affect a person’s work and school performance. Infertility can often result in an increased amount of stress in a woman’s life. In time, this stress could contribute to the problem. The following includes some basic information regarding the relationship between infertility and stress.

First, it is important to realize that repeatedly trying to conceive and failing can take its toll on a woman. With each passing month and with each negative test, a woman’s stress levels can increase. This stress can then affect the woman’s body. For example, increased levels of stress can affect a woman’s hormone levels and can even negatively affect a woman’s ability to have intercourse and to have an orgasm. And of course, with stress also come other issues like high blood pressure, depression, and insomnia.

Infertility is stressful because of the pressure women and families feel to have children. For many people, they see a marriage or long-term relationship as one that is not complete without biological children. Thus, not being able to have a child can make a woman feel like a failure in her personal life and can even make her feel like a failure to her family and to her husband or boyfriend. After all, family members may ask about when a couple is planning on having children. Not being able to answer this question can be incredibly stressful. Some women even avoid family functions so that hey will not have to talk about conceiving or children.

Additionally, infertility can result in a lot of financial stress in one’s life. Many couples will see therapists and infertility specialists to try and find answers to this age-old dilemma. Thus, the stress of spending money on something that is as mysterious as it is frustrating only adds more fuel to the fire. After all, if a woman tries a fertility treatment, not only is this a major investment, but it is a risky one because one can never be sure if she will become pregnant. Thus, efforts to reverse or solve infertility can cause stress because they are so pricey or expensive and because one never knows if they really will work.

Woman often experience infertility stress because they feel as if they have completely lost control over their bodies and their futures. Having a child is often something that women have their hearts set on. Not being able to conceive can make a woman doubt her sexuality and can result in self esteem issues as well as some serious depression. After all, sometimes, this is a problem that does not have a clear or easy solution. Because of this, a woman may experience an incredibly long grieving process when told that she may be infertile.
Because of the stress a woman may experience, her partner may also feel stressed. This can change his hormone levels and sexual performance and can make it that much more difficult to have a child. Additionally, if a woman is depressed and stressed, it is bound to affect one’s relationship. This in turn only adds to the problem because it can make the woman even more stressed.

If infertility stress is a suspected contributor to one’s inability to have a child or if the stress is wrecking a marriage or one’s life, then it is time to look for mental health help. Talk to your doctor so that you can really deal with this process.

There is both individual and couples counseling available for interested parties. Additionally, if a woman is experiencing infertility stress, she probably feels depressed and isolated. Thus, it may be wise to join a support group for infertility so that she can see that she is not alone.