“Don’t be afraid to need help” – National Infertility Awareness Week aims to reduce stigmas around infertility

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) – In a staggering report from the World Health Organization, infertility affects about one in six people around the world.

Dr. Deirdre Conway at the Idaho Fertility Center reports one in eight people are affected by infertility regionally.

So, it is a common disease throughout the area.

"It's a little bit of a misconception that it's getting more prevalent actually, but I think there's a lot more awareness, people are talking about it. It used to be like a really covert operation if people were struggling with infertility or doing treatment, and now I think there's a lot more, you know, people sharing their journeys," Dr. Conway says.

Infertility is a disease or disorder defined as the lack of ability to get pregnant naturally for about one year.

Dr. Conway says, "About 40% of the time it can be issues with like sperm numbers or quality. And then another 40% of the time it could be issues with maybe ovulation or some anatomic problem where we just need to fix the underlying problem. And about 20% of the time we do all the testing and we really can't come up with like an obvious explanation and we call that 'unexplained infertility.'"

National Infertility Awareness Week is aimed to increase understanding about infertility and help those who struggle with the disease recognize they are not alone.

Dylan and Justine Linnastruth are just one of the many families who struggle with infertility. Dylan was born with cystic fibrosis, a disease that affects the organs, and knew because of his condition, he was infertile. But that didn't stop them from trying to conceive. "We were hoping for a miracle," Justine says.

When they were unsuccessful in their attempts to conceive naturally, they decided to turn to Dr. Conway at the Idaho Fertility Center. Now, they have one-year-old twin boys.

They say the process was difficult and expensive, but worth it. Fertilization options can cost an upwards of $10,000. Dr. Conway says that's a major reason why people choose not to take the leap, but there are avenues to help aid with the cost.

In support of National Infertility Awareness Week, the Linnastruths want to help encourage struggling families.

Justine says, "Don't be afraid to need help. I think we're getting better about that as a society, you know, maybe a stigma behind infertility or being a failure as a women if you can't conceive or something like that. But I think it's important just to know that there's people like Dr. Conway in Idaho Fertility Center that are here for you and know what you're going through. And then there's a whole community outside of that as well."