Facing Infertility? Find Out If In Vitro Fertilization Is A Good Option for You

Infertility can be an intensely private, emotional and financial burden on couples wanting to grow their families but it is one shared by millions of men and women in America.

According to the National Infertility Association, infertility affects 7.3 million people in the United States, that’s one in eight couples.

Dr. Julie Tan, who specializes in reproductive endocrinology and infertility at the Fairview Fertility Clinic, a Cleveland Clinic hospital, defines infertility as not conceiving after one year. But for women 35 and older, they should seek an infertility evaluation after six months of unsuccessful attempts to conceive because age is such a critical factor in fertility.

The causes of infertility issues are shared equally between men and women, Dr. Tan says, and often do not require as invasive medical intervention as in vitro fertilization (IVF).

Often by making lifestyle changes to diet and exercise such as not smoking, drinking alcohol or cutting down on caffeine, fertility can improve, she says. For women who are overweight, losing weight can improve her ability to ovulate. And some women may exercise too much and negatively affect their ability to get pregnant. In other cases, taking oral medication to stimulate the ovaries to produce eggs, or a simple surgery to open a blocked fallopian tube may be the winning remedy.

In certain cases, though, IVF is the best route. Tan said good candidates for this intervention:

• Those who have unexplained infertility where there is no medical explanation for why they are not conceiving.
• Those who have tried all the other less invasive fertility treatments and been unsuccessful.
• Women who have a problem with their fallopian tubes. For instance, if both fallopian tubes are blocked, there is no way for the egg and sperm to meet for conception.
• Women who have severe endometriosis, a condition whereby the lining of the uterus grows inside her abdomen causing pelvic pain, painful intercourse and infertility.
• Couples with male factor infertility.

Read about one Westlake couple's IVF success story: