JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Infertility affects millions of people, yet it remains a difficult topic for many to discuss.
Advocates and medical professionals are working to break that silence, pointing out that infertility is a common challenge—affecting about 1 in 6 couples, according to the World Health Organization.
Having a baby is often one of life’s most exciting milestones. But for some couples, it’s not that simple.
You plan, you wait, you hope—sometimes, it just doesn’t happen.
So, what happens when family planning doesn’t go as planned?
One of the biggest misconceptions about infertility, experts say, is stress.
“Everyone wants to believe stress causes infertility,” said Dr. Samuel E. Brown, an infertility specialist at Brown Fertility. “But that’s not usually the case.”
Brown advises couples to seek medical help if they’ve been trying to conceive for a year without success.
“If the woman is under the age of 35 and she has had 12 months of unprotected sex, she should be pregnant. If it’s been more than 12 months, that’s considered infertility,” Brown said. “And if she’s over 40, we assume infertility until proven otherwise.”
One of the most common causes of infertility in women is polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).
“With PCOS, a woman has plenty of eggs, but she’s not releasing them properly,” Brown said. “The good news is we have simple treatments to fix that.”
Infertility is not just a women’s health issue. Men can also be affected.
“There are usually no symptoms,” Brown said. “What’s more common today is that men are being treated for low testosterone—what’s called ‘low T’—and the treatment can actually reduce sperm count to nearly zero.”
If you and your partner are facing fertility concerns, doctors say there are simple blood tests and a wide range of treatment options available. Early evaluation and intervention can make a significant difference.
