Dr. Greenhouse: Infertility is a medical condition that while largely dependent on the female partner’s age can affect anyone. Both partners should be tested.
If you have been on the internet in the past couple of weeks it is more than likely you have stumbled upon Macy Rodeffer’s photograph announcing her pregnancy after a long struggle with infertility and repeat miscarriages. The image recounts the seemingly endless amount of injections and pills that Macy had to endure for the past several years. Fox 5 Morning News turned to Shady Grove Fertility’s Dr. Stephen Greenhouse (Fair Oaks, VA) to shed some light on the realities that some couples face when going through infertility treatment.
Dr. Greenhouse: Women in Their Early-20s Can Experience Infertility
Rodeffer’s experience is slightly more unusual considering she is just 24 and has already experienced multiple miscarriages and several years trying to conceive, but it is by no means rare. Dr. Greenhouse explains, “[Rodeffer] is certainly younger. Our average age patient is in their mid-30s, but I think it is important to recognize that infertility is a medical condition and it can affect women who are in their early-20s as well. They could have tubal disease or there could be severe male factor. So it is really important to evaluate both partners.”
The incidence of infertility is split evenly, with roughly 40 percent of cases due to female factors, 40 percent related to male factors, and the remaining classified as “unexplained” or combined factor.
Dr. Greenhouse: IVF Isn’t the Only Infertility Treatment Option
For the roughly one in eight couples who will experience infertility, there are a variety of treatment options available. Many assume in vitro fertilization (IVF) is the only form of care, but many patients successfully overcome their infertility through more basic treatments including intrauterine insemination (IUI). In fact, nearly 50 percent of treatments at Shady Grove Fertility are considered basic or low tech, compared with the more advanced treatment approaches such as IVF.
For patients like Macy Rodeffer—who suffered from endometriosis and cysts and endured multiple IVF cycles before finally succeeding—Dr. Greenhouse explained that Shady Grove Fertility realizes that cost could impair patients from continuing treatment through to success. And while it’s important to note that over 70 percent of patients will have some insurance coverage for testing and treatment, SGF has also developed one of the strongest money-back guarantee programs for IVF and donor egg treatment: the Shared Risk 100% Refund Program. For a flat fee a couple can undergo up to 6 rounds of IVF or donor egg treatment with the promise of going home with a baby or receiving a full refund (some exclusions apply).
Dr. Greenhouse commends Rodeffer for sharing such a powerful image, giving the public a deeper look inside the struggles that some couples go through and giving those still facing infertility the hope and courage to continue their efforts.
To schedule a new patient consult with Dr. Greenhouse or one of our other 34 physicians at SGF, please call our New Patient Center at 1-877-971-7755 or click here. Discover what’s possible with Shady Grove Fertility.
