Dear Reader,
This week is National Infertility Awareness Week. If you and your partner are struggling to have a baby, you are not alone. Ten to 15 percent of couples in the United States are infertile. Infertility is defined as not being able to get pregnant despite having frequent, unprotected sex for at least a year for most couples.
Infertility isn't the same thing as sterility. It doesn't mean you can never have a baby. It just means you haven't gotten pregnant within the usual time frame, and it's probably a good idea to see if there's a medical problem getting in the way. Timely treatment can prevent further delay in starting your family. And today there are more options than ever to help you conceive.
Sometimes, infertility is due to a problem involving only one partner, either the man or the woman. Other times, the cause may involve both partners, or it may never be fully explained. In any case, don't make the mistake of assuming the problem is with the woman. When a couple is having trouble getting pregnant, there is a 50-50 chance that at least part of the problem may lie with the male partner, according to the American Society for Reproduction Medicine.
For this reason, be sure to maintain your team effort as you plan your next steps. Talk with each other and see your care provider together. Tests for male infertility are much less invasive than the tests for female infertility and can easily be squared away before proceeding to the more complex female evaluation.
Yours in good health,
Jani R. Jensen, M.D. Elizabeth A. Steward, M.D. Medical Editors | 
