When your daughter told you that she and her husband had an upcoming appointment at a fertility center you could not help but remember your fertility center experience 25 years ago. You wonder if now is the time to tell your 25 year old daughter that you visited several infertility specialists before she was born. Even though you know that the latest advancements in infertility procedures are probably much different than what they were 25 years ago, you are guessing that many of the emotions and the frustrations are the same.
Although you have had many conversations with your daughters, who are now 21 and 25 years old, you have never completely explained that infertility was needed before you were able to get pregnant that first time. Although the doctors never really found a reason for your failure to conceive, you know that you never would have gotten pregnant without those in vitro fertilization (IVF) procedures. Fortunately, at the time the IVF costs were covered by your work insurance. Although the emotional costs were high, you were able to find the patience and energy to continue because the financial costs were manageable.
Fertility Centers Provide Hope to Many Couples
Whether you have been trying for a year or you have been trying for five, when you make the decision to make an appointment at a fertility center you may be feeling both nervous and frustrated. If, for instance, you are going in to talk about the latest infertility treatments you may be as scared of another failure to conceive as you are scared of the cost of the process. Knowing that there is a possibility that you can finally get pregnant and have a baby is enough to help many couples continue to achieve conception.
Consider some of these facts and figures about the infertility services that are offered in the country:

• 44% of women with infertility have sought medical assistance. Fortunately, of those who seek medical intervention, approximately 65% give birth.
• Dropping down more steeply from the age of 35, fertility actually starts to decline for women from about the age of 30.
• 85% to 90% of infertility cases are treated with surgical procedures or drug therapy.
• By the age of 40, only 40% women who wish to have a baby will be able to do so.
• When they are between the ages of 20 and 24, women are at the most fertile time of their life.
• 6.7 million women ages 15 to 44 have impaired fecundity (impaired ability to get pregnant or carry a baby to term).

In a time when so many Americans are concerned about having continued access to the health care that they so desire, it should come as no surprise that many times decisions are made based on what is covered. If, for instance, your insurance company will not pay any part of IVF cost, you will certainly need to consider what kind of IVF financing is available before continuing. If, on the other hand, you have a health savings account that lets you put in pretax dollars that can be used for infertility services, you might be more open to this option.
And while no couple wants to acknowledge that they are making their fertility decisions based on money, this is a stark reality that many couples today face.