| Most couples feel excluded in the knowledge that | | | | It is widely known that as women grow older, they |
| they can’t have children due to infertility | | | | have poorer chance of getting pregnant. This is |
| problems. They gaze out longingly to parents with | | | | because they have fewer healthy eggs by then. |
| their kids and contemplate why they are not blessed. | | | | 15.2% of childless women are aged 35 to 39 years |
| To show that they are not alone in their | | | | old. 17.3% of childless women are aged between 30 |
| predicament, here are the numbers. | | | | and 34 years, and they also took infertility |
| There are many women affected with infertility. | | | | treatments while there’s only 2.9% for women |
| Almost 7.3 million women from the age of 15 to 44 | | | | aged between 15 and 29 years. To illustrate, here is |
| are unable to have a child. Not all of them are even | | | | a better picture of the statistics: Married infertile |
| aware of their condition until they try to conceive. A | | | | women with ages of 15 to 29 years-11%. Married |
| few cases would find out after a pregnancy that | | | | infertile women with ages of 30 to 34 years-16.9%. |
| they have a condition called polycystic ovarian | | | | Married infertile women with ages of 35 to 39 |
| syndrome that can be a hindrance to their being | | | | years-22.6%. Married infertile women with ages of 40 |
| fertile. This is not always so since not everyone can | | | | to 44 years-27.4%. Although the figures don’t |
| be diagnosed as easily. There are also those that | | | | lie, there are still ways to counter the results. There |
| visited fertility clinics to be tested and treated. 7.3 | | | | are many medical miracles in the realm of infertility. |
| million Women in 2002 aged 15 to 44 years old have | | | | The chance of a 31 year old woman having IVF to |
| availed of a range of infertility services. Out of this | | | | experience a successful live birth is nearly 40%. If |
| data, 6.1% sought professional counseling. 5.5% of | | | | the woman is aged 39 years old, the chance is |
| them asked for assistance in miscarriage prevention. | | | | decreased by nearly half. For women aged 43 years |
| 4.8% have taken a fertility exam and 3.8% took | | | | old and above, the chance becomes less than 10%. |
| medication to help them ovulate. 1.1% of these ladies | | | | Another alternative is to use an egg donor. This is |
| have tried artificial insemination. 11.8% of them from | | | | more promising than IVF because it has a success |
| 15 to 44 years of age were found to have impaired | | | | rate of 45%, especially when the eggs come from a |
| fecundity. | | | | younger woman. |