Many fertility options are available depending on the cause and diagnosis of the fertility issue. Sometimes only one person needs treatment, sometimes both partners, and sometimes neither requires treatment, but that person needs someone else to carry a pregnancy for her or him or them. Statistically, about 40% of infertility is due to a female factor, 40% is due to a male factor, and 20% is unknown.
Speaking to a fertility specialist can help determine which treatments are best for you. However, it is also important to consider at least one consultation with a mental health professional because your psychological health is just as important as your physical health. Your fertility doctor can recommend treatment plans to you, but a mental health professional can assist you in dealing with the loss of reproductive privacy, how to cope with a fertility issue, as well as assist you in carefully considering all the various options available. This ranges from fertility treatment to third-party fertility treatment to adoption or child-free living. The mental health professional can arm you with coping tools as you venture toward parenting. The good news is that over 85% of people dealing with fertility issues can be treated with low-tech treatment such as medication or surgery. For a small percentage (about 5%) of people dealing with infertility, in vitro fertilization is not enough, and they will need the assistance of another person’s sperm, egg, embryos, or uterus to create their family.
