Infertility is defined as not being able to get pregnant despite having carefully timed, unprotected sex for at least a year for most couples.
We have all heard of terms like IVF, infertility, hormone treatment, IUI many times over the recent years with the astonishing advance of technology in the medical field. Yet, in a society where the only value people bring into a marriage or a family is their ability to procreate, can you imagine the pressure and hostility a person will face if they are unable to reproduce? Being infertile comes with a lot of mental stress, especially for women who have been told their entire lives that the only purpose of their lives was to bear children.
When one finds out that they are infertile when they actually want a child, it can be quite shocking and disheartening, to say the least, and it may be a huge blow to their self-esteem, feeling like an utter failure. Many people become overly careful about everything that they do and people often feel an immense sense of guilt over their past behaviors and habits, thinking it’s their “fault” they cannot have children.
Individuals also usually blame themselves and feel worthless when they receive negative results for pregnancy. The intense desire to become parents has a chance of putting unhealthy pressure on the couple’s marriage as they focus on the goal of conceiving much more than they pay attention to themselves as well as each other. It’s also possible for a blame game to happen in between couples, either they will wallow in self-pity or point fingers at each other, forgetting their partnership in pursuit of parenthood. There are various ways to conceive a child in this time of modern medicine and surrogacy is a valid option.
If every other door does close for someone, there is always the choice of adoption for a couple as there are many innocent children around the world yearning for a warm loving home.