Just What IS Infertility?

A new, growing group called the Egg Donation & Surrogacy Professional Association (EDSPA) has started an especially interesting message thread sent to subscribers on their Facebook page.
To wit:

Below is the definition of Infertility as defined by the ASRM. Do you believe that this is an appropriate definition by YOUR personal or professional experience?

What is Infertility?( as defined by the ASRM)
Infertility is a disease or condition of the reproductive system often diagnosed after a couple has one year of unprotected, well-timed intercourse or if the woman suffers from multiple miscarriages. Infertility can be male or female related.

To many, particularly patients, definitions seem moot. They're unable to have a baby. That's their bottom line.

But such pinpointing of complex systemic disorders often winds up leaving out entire cohorts of individuals, whether it's by way of sparse insurance coverage or physicians who don't feel quite as inspired to help aggressively when someone doesn't fit the bill.

Examples:

Note how the definition includes "a couple" in its wording

Note the length of time specification

Granted, the above points are somewhat softened, therefore broadened, by referring to the diagnosis as "often" -- not "always"...

And if you think answering "What is infertility?" is a relatively simple task, try writing about that very question hundreds of times over several years with multiple expert sources. The ASRM has actually done quite a good job at simplifying the issue. Still, with changing times, it seems an appropriate time to consider changing terms.

I could be making a mountain out of a molehill (I've certainly done it before), but I'm glad to see this conversation come to light in a public way. That Sharon LaMothe, Surrogacy Chair for the EDSPA, is the one to have started the conversation adds to its potential impact.

Talk amongst yourselves.

Comments

[Katie]

I've heard of couples excluded from infertility treatment because they've had pregnancies and miscarriages - though I've been on the flip side, having insurance coverage for the same investigations because I HAVE had miscarriages.

I also read one adoption agency that would only take couples who could not achieve a pregnancy (as if a pregnancy ending in early miscarriage was somehow more useful in producing babies?)

And I've read about single or lesbian women who have, happily, found that they were actually NOT infertile, just "sperm deficient". Perhaps exchanging "regular intercourse" for "X cycles in which some definition of sperm has had a chance to meet some definition of egg".