World Infertility Awareness Month was created to bring awareness to the scope of this issue, debunk myths, introduce couples to fertility enhancing solutions, and provide hope to the millions of people worldwide who are struggling to build their families.
Infertility impacts men and women all over the world. According to the World Health Organization, 15-20% of people experience infertility within their lifetime, leading WHO to dub infertility a “worldwide health problem”. The diagnosis of infertility is generally given to couples who do not conceive after 12 months of regular unprotected intercourse. If the female partner is over 35, the diagnosis of infertility can be given after 6 months. The term also applies to women with a history of frequent miscarriage.
We tend to assume that the responsibility of infertility rests with the female partner, but that is simply untrue. Looking at the statistics: 1/3 of the time infertility is the woman’s “fault”, 1/3 of the time it is the man’s “fault” and in 1/3 of cases a couple’s infertility has its roots in both partners. Thus, 2/3 of the time the male partner has some influence on the couple’s fertility struggles! Yet, I rarely see both men and women wanting to build their families in my practice. Why? I believe that most people do not know how big of a role men play in infertility. For example, while many people know a women’s fertility declines as she ages, few are aware that the same is true for men. By age 40, men’s fertility starts to decline. While it is almost common knowledge that women’s fertility recedes with age, few understand that men’s fertility is influenced by the same factor.
Male fertility is plummeting around the world and is cause for great concern. The big question is why. There are many theories, but chemical pollutants, pharmaceuticals, alcohol use, smoking and stress can all have detrimental effects on the key components of sperm health: amount of seminal fluid, sperm shape, motility and DNA integrity. An interesting fact that many people, even reproductive endocrinologists (RE), do not know is that cannabis has several negative effects on male fertility. From changing sperm shape, motility, DNA, hormone balance and reducing testicular size, cannabis has been linked to male infertility in both animal and human studies for years. Cannabis also has a deleterious effect on female fertility, pregnancy and the postpartum era.
Thus, in my practice I offer alternatives to cannabis so that patient’s needs (sleep, appetite stimulation, stress reduction, etc.) are met. My job is to provide information and give options, but not to insist that patients make diet and lifestyle changes that they are not able or willing to make at the time.
In terms of women, age is one of the most commonly sited causes of infertility. Other conditions that predispose women to infertility are polycystic ovary syndrome, diminished ovarian reserve, endometriosis, irregular menstrual cycles, infections, and reproductive organ structural issues. Most women who have trouble conceiving go to their OB/GYN for advice. Frequently they are referred to a RE for evaluation and treatment. This path often involves in vitro fertilization (IVF). This is frequently an expensive road and depending on the root cause of infertility, has a wildly varying degree of success.
In my practice I work with women (and hopefully men!) prior to embarking on Western treatment, during IVF cycles, or when Western treatment was not successful. One of my passions is working with women who have been told that they are too old to get pregnant. This year I had one mom aged 42 and another, aged 45 give birth to healthy baby girls. Both of them came to me during a failed IVF cycle.
Given that infertility is a world-wide issue, studies have been conducted across the globe showing East Asian Medicine can dramatically improve male and female fertility through acupuncture, herbal medicine, nutritional supplements and dietary therapy.
In addition to describing the problem of infertility, plus giving information and solutions, Infertility Awareness Month has the goal of providing hope. There is hope for the 15-20% of you reading this article struggling with infertility; you have options. Riding the rollercoaster of disappointment every month can leave couples feeling overwhelmed and depressed. If you are not experiencing infertility but know someone who is, let them know you are there to talk. Listen to them and let them know they are not alone and that there is help.
