Understanding Infertility Facts

Key Points:

• Infertility can affect anyone and can be hard for doctors to diagnose.
• In the U.S alone, 10%-15% of couples are infertile.
• Surrogacy can be a great family-building option if you’re experiencing infertility.

Infertility affects many couples, and its causes can be difficult for doctors to pinpoint. But, it’s important to know that you and your partner can always choose to grow your family through other family-building options, like surrogacy.

In this guide, we’ll examine:

• What infertility is
• Infertility risk factors
• How infertility is diagnosed
• Why some couples choose surrogacy

Speak with a specialist today

Disclaimer: You should always speak to a medical professional to determine if you think you’re experiencing infertility. This article is only intended for educational purposes and should not be taken as medical advice.

What is Infertility?

According to the Mayo Clinic, infertility is when a couple is unable to conceive despite having frequent, unprotected sex for at least a year.

The following are just a few infertility facts:

1. Infertility can result from a combination of factors that affect you, your partner, or you both.
2. In the United States, 10% to 15% of couples are infertile.
3. Signs and symptoms of infertility are often minor and require a diagnosis from a doctor.

Infertility Risk Factors

Often, infertility isn’t caused by one thing; it’s typically a combination.

The following are just a few causes of infertility a doctor may diagnose and common infertility risk factors.

Causes of Male Infertility

A man may experience infertility due to several things.

A few common risk factors include:

• Abnormal sperm production or function due to infections (like STIs), genetic defects, undescended testicles, or other health problems
• Sperm delivery complications due to structural or sexual challenges
• Certain environmental factors, such as chemicals, heat, radiation, pesticides, and more
• Some cancer and cancer treatment

Causes of Female Infertility

There are also quite a few causes of female infertility.

Some of them are:

• Ovulation disorders, such as hormonal irregularities and polycystic ovary syndrome
• Cervical or uterine abnormalities
• Fallopian tube blockage or damage
• Endometriosis

Common Infertility Risk Factors

Both men and women have the same type of infertility risk factors. Although these factors can impact a person’s chances of conceiving, they alone do not cause infertility.

Common risk factors for infertility in females and males include:

• Age: People – especially women over 37 and men over 40 – experience declining fertility as they age.
• Tobacco use:  Smoking can decrease the likelihood of pregnancy and can cause erectile dysfunction and a low sperm count in men.
• Alcohol use: Alcohol use affects fertility in women and can decrease sperm count and motility in men.
• Weight: Being overweight or underweight can cause fertility issues in men and women.
• Excess exercise: Ovulation issues may arise if a woman exercises frequently and strenuously.

How do You get an Infertility Diagnosis?

If a doctor suspects that you may be experiencing infertility, they may decide to conduct one or several tests to determine what may be causing infertility.

Infertility diagnosis tests for men include:

• Semen analysis
• Hormone testing
• Genetic testing
• And more

And infertility diagnosis tests for women include:

• Ovulation testing
• Ovarian reserve testing
• Imaging testing
• And more

Infertility and Surrogacy

If you and your partner received a recent infertility diagnosis, know you aren’t alone. It’s normal to feel a range of emotions – even grief – about this diagnosis. Don’t push yourself to move through this period. Take all the time you need to process how you both feel.

After determining what the infertility diagnosis means to you and your partner, you both may start to consider other family-building options. One common option that intended parents choose to pursue is surrogacy.

One of the benefits of working with a surrogacy agency is that surrogacy professionals understand what you’re going through. These professionals have worked with couples like you and can even connect you with an infertility counselor.

Surrogacy Basics

Surrogacy is when different people come together to achieve one goal: Bring a healthy child into the world.

On your surrogacy journey, you will work with:

• A surrogate who will carry and deliver your child
• A surrogacy agency that will provide you with surrogacy professionals who will safely and legally complete your surrogacy
• A fertility clinic that helps create the embryo that will be transferred to the surrogate

Intended parents typically spend anywhere from $60,000 to $150,000 during the surrogacy journey. These fees cover the surrogate’s medical and legal care and provide her base compensation. A surrogate never has to pay to become a surrogate.

Using Your Gametes in Surrogacy

If your infertility diagnosis doesn’t affect you or your partner’s gametes, you may be able to use your own egg/sperm in your surrogacy journey.

Your fertility clinic will be able to help you and your partner navigate this journey.

Working with a Donor in Surrogacy After an Infertility Diagnosis

You may decide to work with a gamete donor for many different reasons.

Some common reasons include:

• Your infertility diagnosis affects you and your partner’s eggs/sperm
• You have a genetic diagnosis that you’d prefer not to pass along to a child
• You are in a same-sex couple and choose to use a sperm/egg donor
• You are a single woman and decide to use a sperm donor or a single man and choose to use an egg donor

The surrogacy agency you work with will get you in contact with a fertility clinic that can provide you and your partner with the donor who fits your needs.

Start Your Parenthood Journey Today

If you’ve decided to pursue surrogacy and are looking for a surrogacy agency to work with, consider these organizations:

• American Surrogacy
• Circle Surrogacy
• Growing Generations
• Creating Families
• Simple Surrogacy

An infertility diagnosis shouldn’t stop you from growing your family. Contact us today if you’re ready to pursue other family-building options.