Learning more with fertility facts and stats

Infertility is a very common condition that affects approximately 1 in 8 couples. This may even be an underestimate since many couples never seek care. As patient awareness and education increases, the number of couples seeking care and achieving their goal of family building will increase. This is our goal in sharing fertility facts.

Presently, the CDC estimates that fertility treatments account for slightly more than 1% of total U.S. births.  There were 142,435 cycles in 2007 and 57,569 infants born as a result. These numbers only reflect those births where the babies were conceived via in vitro fertilization procedures. There are many couples who can conceive with basic treatment like IUI. They key is to seek care early.

Sharing fertility facts

Generally, doctors recommend that visiting a fertility doctor after a year of trying if the female partner is under 35. If the female partner is over age 35, then it is best to seek an evaluation after 6 months of trying without success. This is true assuming there are no known causes of infertility present. These include blocked tubes, lack of ovulation or poor sperm. If there is a known cause, then the couple should seek an evaluation ASAP.

When a couple decides they want to get evaluated for infertility, they could either go to their OB/GYN or come directly to a reproductive endocrinologist. OB/GYN can start simple treatment, but studies have shown that time to pregnancy is the shortest with a specialist. Typically once pregnant, the patient is followed by the reproductive endocrinologist until about 8-10 weeks gestation. The doctor then refers the patient back to their OB/GYN for obstetric care.

Seeking care in a timely fashion is very important. Our Austin fertility center can help you find the right treatment for your family. Contact us to learn more about fertility facts.