Infertility: More Myths vs. Facts

Reproductive endocrinologist Wendy Schillings, M.D., and obstetrician/gynecologist Guillermo De La Vega, M.D., both of Lehigh Valley Health Network, separate myth from fact about infertility.

Myth: A healthy diet and regular exercise can help you conceive.

Fact: True. It is medically proven that obese women and women who are underweight have difficulty conceiving because both conditions can lead to problems with ovulation.

Myth: Certain sexual positions are better if you want to conceive.

Fact: This is another myth. There is no medically preferred sexual position for conception. Sperm travels into the intrauterine cavity within seconds and can live there for up to three days.

Myth: Stress only makes the problem worse.

Fact: Infertility is stressful in and of itself, so this is a touchy subject. Extreme stress can cause ovulation dysfunction, so decreasing your stress level helps to optimize your chances for getting pregnant.

Myth: You need to have sex every day.

Fact: That’s not true. Sperm need time to regenerate. Having sex every other day makes it less stressful on your reproductive system.

Myth: Herbal remedies can help.

Fact: There is a ton of information on the Internet touting the effectiveness of herbs. The reality is that randomized, controlled trial data does not exist for most natural remedies. But there have been some promising recent studies on a hormone supplement called DHEA for women with lower egg quality. This is not for everyone, so you should ask your doctor about any herbs you hear about, Schillings says.

Myth: Infertility treatment can cause a high risk for multiple births.

Fact: You have options when it comes to treatment. Surgical intervention, like unblocking fallopian tubes or reversing a vasectomy, does not increase your chances of multiples (twins, triplets, etc.). Ovulation induction with clomiphene citrate, which is the medical restoration of ovulation in a woman who has not been ovulating regularly, increases risk by 5 to 8 percent. Eighty percent of treated women will ovulate, and 40 percent will conceive with this drug. For couples who need more assistance, the risk for multiples is actually higher for those who opt to use injectable drugs than for those who choose to have invitro-fertilization (IVF). There is a range of other options too, depending on the cause of infertility.

Infertility: Myths vs. Facts

Infertility used to be a taboo topic. Now, people are talking—but a lot of what they’re saying isn’t fact. Reproductive endocrinologist Wendy Schillings, MD, and obstetrician/gynecologist Guillermo De La Vega, MD, both with Lehigh Valley Health Network, help to separate myth from fact.

MYTH: It’s easy to get pregnant.

FACT: For 10-15 percent of the population, it’s not easy. Infertility affects more than 7 million people of child-bearing age annually. You should seek medical help if you’ve been trying to get pregnant for one year without success if you are under age 35, and after six months if you are 35 or older. “The prevalence of infertility has been stable, but the demand for infertility care has increased significantly in the last 20 years,” De La Vega says.

MYTH: Fertility is a female problem.

FACT: Infertility is about a 50-50 split for men and women, Schillings says. Female factors that affect fertility include ovulation disorders, blocked fallopian tubes, uterine fibroids and congenital anomalies that affect the shape of your uterus. Male factors include low or no sperm count, malformed sperm cells and genetic diseases. If abnormalities in the semen are detected, men are typically referred to a urologist. Also, in 20 percent of infertility cases, both male and female reasons combined prevent conception. In another 15 percent of cases, no cause is found.

MYTH: It’s more difficult to get pregnant on your own after age 35.

FACT: It does get more difficult to get pregnant with time. If you’re a woman in your late 30s and early 40s, getting an extensive medical, surgical and gynecologic history and physical exam is important. Fertility for females actually begins to decline at age 32 and then drops quite steadily until you’re 43. For men, fertility declines much more slowly, but fertility generally begins to decline around age 50.

MYTH: Whether men wear boxers or briefs can make a difference.

FACT: This one’s all myth. Wear what’s comfortable for you.

MYTH: Hot tubs (and motorcycles!) kill sperm.

FACT: It’s true. The testes are outside of a man’s core for a reason: sperm can die when they are above the normal body temperature of 98.6 degrees. That means hot tubs or any exposure to “heat under the seat” for extended periods of time can lower your sperm count. This includes truck drivers and even motorcyclists who sit for long distances over the engine.

MYTH: Invitro-fertilization (IVF) is too expensive.

FACT: The cost of IVF ranges from about $12,000 to $20,000 per cycle and is not fully covered (or even covered at all) by many insurance providers in Pennsylvania. It is covered in New Jersey. Your chances for success on the first try depend on many factors. “It typically costs about the same as expenses for a child during the course of one year,” says Schillings, who has financial counselors on staff.

Next Step: Read more myths and facts about infertility.