Is Infertility a Relationship Dealbreaker?

The decision to start — or not start — a family is huge. In fact, it is one of the biggest decision couples face. So what happens when you want children but your partner is dealing with infertility? Turns out, not much.

According to a new study, infertility is not a relationship deal breaker — though many men and women believe it to be.

The report, compiled by BodyLogicMD, found that 50 percent of women and 48 percent of men feared their significant other would be disappointed if they learned they couldn’t have children. This was particularly true of early-stage relationships, when they worried their new love interest would leave them. Thankfully, the opposite was true: Fewer than one in five women said infertility would dissuade them from a relationship, and men were even less likely to feel that way.

According to the report, the reasoning for this could have something to do with recent medical advances. There are now many ways to treat infertility, including intrauterine insemination, in vitro fertilization (IVF), fertility drugs, surrogacy and/or surgery. But another aspect at play here is anxiety.

As the study clearly shows, most of the aforementioned fears were irrational and not fact-based.

The report also found there was a slew of misinformation out there surrounding conception and pregnancy: 33 percent of respondents believe men need to orgasm conceive, 25 percent believe birth control can cause infertility and 21 percent believe excessive masturbation reduces a man’s sperm count.

All of these statements are false.

So what should prospective parents do? They should talk to their doctor, talk to each other and brush up on the facts, as these three things can alleviate many fears.

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