What should women look for in a provider of infertility services?
Experience, experience, experience. Your practitioner should be available seven days a week, 24 hours a day if your protocol requires monitoring---and most of them do. If your practitioner is always closed on weekends, even if your are doing IUI and are ovulating on a Saturday, you need to find a new practitioner. If you need ICSI, you should find the embryologist in your area who has done the most ICSI cycles. Ask questions of other couples in your area, and don't be afraid to ask the hard questions (like what are your success rates for couples with our diagnosis or couples in our age group). Also, check out INCIID's chart on how to evaluate an ART Clinic.Is there anything women should beware of?
Beware of "fertility specialists" who deliver babies. Beware of doctors who dismiss your concerns or take the attitude that he/she knows best what's best for you. Beware of doctors who don't respond to your questions or return your calls. Beware of doctors who focus on the services offered their clinics even though your reading has alerted you to a treatment appropriate for your diagnosis that isn't mentioned.Most of all, beware of being complacent. You are your own best advocate, and it is your responsibility to educate yourself. There are so many sources of good information about the treatment and prevention of infertility--- use them. Ask your doctor questions. Participate in your own treatment plan. Be in charge of your own fertility.
How long should a woman continue to try fertility treatments before choosing another option?
This is a personal decision based on each couple's needs and resources. Drs. Yakov Epstein and Helane Rosenberg offer some excellent advice on making this decision in their book, "Getting Pregnant When You Thought You Couldn't." They introduce an exercise called "moving the line." At each phase of treatment, you draw a hypothetical line about how far you'll go, and then focus on treatment to that point. But you give yourself permission to move the line should it be appropriate. This enables couples to focus on where they are right now without worrying about next steps that may never need to be taken.How does fertility treatment and the resulting birth of a child affect the possibility of conceiving again, either, with or without treatment?
I don't know the answer to this, but I suspect it depends on what the initial diagnosis was. If the original problem was blocked tubes that were repaired, chances are they will be fine the next time around. However, if the cause was male factor that required ICSI, chances are ICSI will be required the next time around, too.What looks promising, in the future, for the treatment of infertility?
There are many new and exciting studies underway. Cytoplasmic transfer, in which the cytoplasm from a donor's egg is used with the mother's own genetic information, looks very promising for women with premature ovarian failure or otherwised diminished ovarian reserve. There are new treatments for women with polycystic ovaries, and much hope for women with endometriosis.What advice do you have for young women to prevent possible future fertility problems?
Sexually transmitted diseases can be a major cause of future infertility---so young women should ALWAYS have protected sex. Also, women should consult with their Ob/Gyns if they have irregular menstrual cycles or have painful periods or ovulation. If your doctor is dismissive and does not offer to find a cause and solution to your problems, find a physician who will. Unfortunately, many couple's biggest barrier to conception is an Ob/gyn who is unfamiliar with the latest technology to treat the causes of infertility even though the woman may not presently be trying to conceive.What else should women should be aware of regarding infertility?
Mostly, beware of doctors who bill themselves as "fertility specialists" but are really not qualified to treat most infertility patients.A special thanks...
I would like to thank Theresa V. Grant, President of INCIID, for her valuable time answering my questions. If you are experiencing infertility issues, be sure to visit INCIID for the latest infertility information and support.
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