I’m Infertile: What Are My Options?

Individuals and couples around the country struggle with infertility. While receiving an infertility diagnosis can be emotionally difficult, with that information in hand you can make the right choices for the future of your family.

Infertility doesn’t mean the end of your dreams of a family. Even after being diagnosed with infertility, you have plenty of options open to you. At New York Fertility Institute of New York City, New York, our compassionate care team has the expertise you can rely on when making important decisions about your fertility journey. Here’s what our team wants you to know about your options after finding out that you’re infertile.

The many causes of infertility

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists defines infertility as a failure to become pregnant after a year of trying. Infertility can correlate with aging, so women older than 35 should get evaluated for infertility after just 6 months of unsuccessful attempts, and women over 40 should seek evaluation as soon as they’re ready to start trying.

Infertility can occur in both men and women. One or both of the individuals involved may be the cause of infertility struggles. With professional diagnosis, we can successfully isolate and identify male and female factors in infertility. Some infertility problems can be improved through noninvasive methods, like lifestyle changes or medications.

Treatments to support conceptions

Depending on the type of infertility concerns you’re dealing with, physician-assisted conception might be an option for you. Today’s reproductive medicine offers multiple types of supportive intervention to encourage conception and pregnancy. You or your partner may benefit from:

• Sperm retrieval procedures or surgery to reverse sperm blockage
• Hysteroscopic surgery to address potential uterine problems
• Using fertility drugs to stimulate ovulation
• Intrauterine insemination (IUI) cycles, when a physician places healthy sperm directly into your uterus when you are known to be ovulating
• In vitro fertilization (IVF), combining mature eggs with sperm in lab conditions, then implanting the resulting embryos

With physician-assisted procedures like IVF, you face a higher chance of multiple pregnancy. Fertility medications to induce ovulation can induce ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS). Surgeries to support fertility have similar risks to other surgical procedures, including a rare risk of bleeding or infection.

Other ways to achieve your family goals

If you are unable to become pregnant with your partner that doesn’t mean you have to give up on your dreams of raising a family. Some couples choose to try using donor eggs or sperm to try for a pregnancy. Others turn to surrogacy, using the help of a gestational carrier for a successful outcome. Adoption or fostering are other ways to experience the joy of family, and can significantly improve both children’s and adoptive parents’ lives.

Fertility problems are complex, and can be emotionally intense to handle. That’s why you want to make sure you have the right care team on your side as you face infertility. Turn to the fertility specialists at New York Fertility Institute to diagnose your infertility problems and advise you through your journey. Our offices are conveniently located in Manhattan on the Upper East Side of New York City. Book your appointment over the phone, or online, today.