People in the United States spent over $3 billion every year on the services of fertility clinics. More than 20,000 people in the country work at almost 500 of these clinics to help people improve their fertility. However, many people who go to these clinics also learn a lot about myths about infertility.
It is hard to overstate how much damage can be done by myths about fertility. Many women experience huge amounts of stress because they believe untrue things about what will improve or detract from their fertility. On the other hand, some women are not worried at all, even though they might be if they knew more about what behaviors and factors can lead to infertility.
Understanding the truth about fertility is essential if you want to be able to take effective actions to improve your own. So what are some of the common myths about infertility out there, and what is the truth about them?
Read on to learn all about the top infertility myths we will be debunking today!
Certain Foods Cause Infertility in Women
There are a lot of myths about foods that can cause infertility or help stave it off. However, science has not yet proven that any specific foods have a direct effect on fertility.
On the other hand, most doctors and scientists agree that general health can help contribute to maximum fertility. What you eat can affect your general health, so this might have an indirect effect on fertility.
However, the best diet for fertility is the same as the best diet for general health. There are no specific foods that you need to avoid or that you need to make sure to include in your diet.
Instead, you should focus on eating plenty of fruits and vegetables and making sure to get a variety of vitamins in your diet. You should also make sure that you have the right balance of macronutrients. Beyond eating a generally healthy diet, you do not have to worry about food when it comes to infertility.
Stress Can Interfere With Fertility Treatments
Many women experience a lot of stress before, during, and sometimes even after fertility treatments. On top of that, not all fertility treatments work for all women.
When you combine these two facts, what you get is a lot of women who are receiving fertility treatments while experiencing a lot of stress and also not seeing the fertility results they are hoping for.
Some people have looked at this correlation and asserted that there must be some sort of causal relationship. If so many women are struggling with fertility treatments while they are experiencing so much stress, could the stress be causing the problems?
However, this is only a hypothesis with no proven evidence to support it. The same is true about myths that say that stress causes fertility problems in the first place.
Everyone experiences stress throughout their lives. Many women who experience incredible amounts of stress are completely fertile. Although it is a great idea to look for ways to decrease your stress, there is no proven link between it and fertility.
Smoking Affects Women’s Fertility Temporarily
On the other hand, there is a strong and proven link between smoking and infertility. Most women know about this, but not all of them understand some of the nuances of this fact. Some women think that smoking only affects them in the short term.
They imagine that they can smoke as much as they want until they want to get pregnant. They suppose that if they stop, their previous smoking will have no effect on their fertility or pregnancy. However, the effects of smoking can last for many months and even years after you stop.
The more time between when you stop smoking and when you get pregnant, the better! If you are having trouble with infertility, then stopping smoking as soon as possible might help!
You Don’t Need Fertility Testing Until 35
There is a rule of thumb that says that women find it much harder to get pregnant after they turn 35. That is true, but it is important to remember the difference between a rule of thumb and a precise fact.
The truth is that women get less fertile the older they get. There is nothing magic that happens specifically at age 35. A woman who is 34 years old is much more likely to have fertility challenges than a woman who is 25 years old.
Coping With Infertility Is for Women
There is also a rule of thumb that says that men stay fertile even as a get well into the later years of their lives. Although there is some truth to that, the exact truth is more precise.
Men also get less fertile with age. Although the effects are not as dramatic as they are for women, plenty of men experience fertility challenges as they get older.
Women’s Fertility Is the Only Factor
When a couple is struggling to conceive, they often assume the woman is having infertility challenges. However, we have seen that men can also face infertility challenges.
When a couple is struggling to conceive, it may just as likely be due to fertility issues with the man rather than the woman.
Understand the Truth About Common Infertility Myths
It is unfortunate that so many women stress out about inaccurate information they have heard about infertility. The better you understand the true factors that influence fertility, the better you will be able to assess the truth about your own fertility situation and what you can do about it.
Once you understand which ideas are myths, you can follow that up by learning more about how the right treatments can improve fertility.
To learn more about how to find the best women’s health and fertility treatment, reach out and get in touch with us here at any time!
