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Studies Reveal the Pain of Infertility

Infertility is a growing concern for Americans. A full third of Americans have either sought fertility treatment themselves or know someone who has.

In the United States, among heterosexual women aged 15 to 49 years with no prior births, about 1 in 5 (19%) are unable to get pregnant after one year of trying (infertility). Also, about 1 in 4 (26%) women in this group have difficulty getting pregnant or carrying a pregnancy to term (impaired fecundity).

Infertility and impaired fecundity are less common among women with one or more prior births. In this group, about 6% of married women aged 15 to 49 years are unable to get pregnant after one year of trying and 14% have difficulty getting pregnant or carrying a pregnancy to term.

In one study, 63 percent of women who experienced both infertility and divorce rated their infertility as more painful than their divorce. In another study, women who experienced either chronic or life-threatening diseases ranked the emotional pain of infertility at similar levels to that of terminal illness.

[But sadly], infertility is often misunderstood. People take it lightly. A person with a chronic disease or terminal illness gets support from those around them. But to a couple struggling with infertility, these same people [often] offer platitudes like "Count all your blessings."

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