Little-discussed problem affects 15 percent of couples

Perhaps the least discussed and supported health problem affecting Georgians today is not AIDS or cancer, but infertility.
Infertility affects 6.1 million people in the U.S., which is 15 percent of reproductive age couples attempting to have a child. But unlike cancer or any other major disease, infertile people often receive little compassion or support from friends or family.
“(Infertility) is not seen as cancer or anything as horrendous as that,” said Janet Eason, former president of Resolve Georgia, a national nonprofit infertility association serving couples dealing with fertility issues. “People don’t see it as a disease, just as ‘tough luck,’ yet it can be so devastating to a marriage, family and one’s self esteem.”
It’s stressful to be infertile in a fertile world. Many men may end up struggling with masculinity issues while women may feel their bodies aren’t capable of fully functioning and are inadequate, said Sandra Fricks, a licensed marriage and family therapist who practices privately in Lawrenceville and through Covenant Counseling Center.
“When people decide to get pregnant, they’re ready and no one expects to have to consult an infertility specialist for the most part,” Fricks said.
Before couples seek fertility counseling, experts concur they should attempt a pregnancy with unprotected intercourse for anywhere between six months and a year. There are many factors that can contribute to infertility, such as smoking, drinking, acquiring sexually transmitted diseases and being overweight, said Dr. Slayden, a physician with Reproductive Biology Associates with offices also at Gwinnett Medical Center.
Although not an issue with men, a woman’s age is a factor, too. From birth, women lose eggs each year, so by the time she tops her cake with 35 candles, a woman’s egg bank is markedly less than that of a 21-year-old’s.
Once a couple decides to visit a fertility specialist there are a few options and a few hurdles.
One of the hurdles is insurance. Insurance often will refuse to cover any procedures, especially in Georgia said Slayden. Thirty percent of his patients have coverage for routine therapy, such as fertility pills while 20 percent have coverage for intrauterine insemination. And while those therapies are better than nothing, the pregnancy rates are lower and don’t help everyone.