OPENED
OPENED UP
OPENED UP ABOUT HER PAINFUL STRUGGLES TO GET PREGNANT.
SO -- HOW COMMON IS INFERTILITY
AND HOW IS IT
CAUSED?
DR. LISA HANSARD FROM TEXAS
FERTILITY CENTER IS HERE
--
--
Q1:
Q1: IN
Q1: IN A
Q1: IN A RECENT INSTAGRAM POST, ANNE ANNOUNCED
ANNE ANNOUNCED
THE
THE PREGNANCY OF HER SECOND CHILD WITH THIS MESSAGE:
"PLEASE
"PLEASE KNOW IT WASN'T A STRAIGHT LINE TO EITHER OF
MY
MY PREGNANCIES." WHY DID HER MESSAGE GET
MESSAGE GET
SO
SO MUCH
SO MUCH ATTENTION? TOO OFTEN HOLLYWOOD PORTRAYS THE PATHWAY TO
PREGNANCY AS EASY AND THAT IT
CAN HAPPEN AT ANY AGE. THIS IS
SIMPLY NOT BIOLOGICALLY TRUE. IT
ISN'T EASY FOR MANY
COUPLES TO GET PREGNANT AND MANY
COUPLES REQUIRE MEDICAL
ASSISTANCE. BY ADMITTING HER OWN
FERTILITY STRUGGLES, ANNE
WAS TELLING THE WORLD THAT SHE
HAS SUFFERED INFERTILITY
STRUGGLES LIKE MILLIONS OF
COUPLES AROUND THE WORLD AND
IT'S OKAY TO TALK ABOUT IT.
Q2: HOW COMMON IS INFERTILITY?
IT IS HARDER TO
GET PREGNANT THAN YOU THINK.
ABOUT 1 IN 8 COUPLES
HAVE TROUBLE GETTING PREGNANT.
WHAT IS THE MAIN CAUSE OF
INFERTILITY? ABOUT ONE-THIRD
OF INFERTILITY IS ATTRIBUTED TO
THE FEMALE PARTNER, ONE-THIRD
ATTRIBUTED TO THE MALE PARTNER
AND ONE-THIRD IS CAUSED BY A
COMBINATION OF PROBLEMS IN BOTH
OR IS UNEXPLAINED. THIS
JUST MEANS THERE ARE MANY
DIFFERENT CAUSES OF INFERTILITY
FROM ENDOMETRIOSIS TO HORMONAL
ISSUES IN WOMEN TO
SPERM
SPERM QUALITY IN MEN AND MANY WAYS TO TREAT INFERTILITY. Q3: WHEN SHOULD A COUPLE SEE A
SPECIALIST? A WOMAN'S AGE PLAYS A BIG ROLE IN HER CHANCE OF CONCEIVING. A
WOMAN IS BORN WITH ALL OF THE
EGGS SHE WILL EVER HAVE, AND
THE NUMBER AND QUALITY OF HER
EGGS DIMINISH OVER TIME.
TYPICALLY, AROUND 35 YEARS OF
AGE
AGE WE
AGE WE SEE A DROP IN THE QUALITY AND QUANTITY OF EGGS BUT THIS COULD HAPPEN EARLIER
OR LATER. THAT'S WHY THE
GUIDANCE IS THAT IF YOU ARE
UNDER
UNDER
THE
THE AGE
THE AGE OF 35 YOU SHOULD SEE A SPECIALIST IF YOU HAVE BEEN TRYING
TO CONCEIVE FOR A YEAR AND 6
MONTHS FOR WOMEN OVER 35.
Q4: WHY DO YOU THINK SO MANY
COUPLES HAVE TROUBLE DISCUSSING
INFERTILITY OPENLY? THERE IS A
SILENCE SURROUNDING INFERTILITY.
MANY WOMEN AND MEN DON'T TALK
OPENLY ABOUT IT BECAUSE THEY
FEEL EMBARRASSED OR INADEQUATE.
YET, OFTEN WHEN COUPLES DO OPEN
UP, MANY OTHERS AROUND THEM OPEN
UP, TOO. I HOPE MORE PEOPLE LIKE
ANNE SPEAK OPENLY AND HONESTLY
ABOUT THEIR PATHWAY TO PREGNANCY
TO
TO HELP
TO HELP OTHER COUPLES LIKE THEM.
DR.
DR. HANSARD-- THANKS FOR STOPPING BY. IF YOU MISSED ANYTHING-- THIS
INTERVIEW WILL BE ON KVUE DOT
COM AFTER THE SHOW.