There is a great deal of rhetoric surrounding in vitro fertilization on the campaign trail this election season. Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance is against it, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has proposed coverage for it and Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz shared an inspirational story about his wife, Gwen, using intrauterine insemination to get pregnant. Also, notably, the Senate failed to pass the IVF Protection Act.
IVF has taken center stage as a women’s reproductive rights issue, as it should. But with all this rhetoric, it’s clear there is a big misunderstanding about IVF just being a women’s issue. In almost half of all infertility cases in the United States, the man is a contributing cause.
Yes, women bravely do all the work, appointments, injections and treatments. This country sees hundreds of thousands of IVF treatments each year. It is emotionally and physically exhausting for each individual, but a necessity for many people, like me, who want to fulfill their dream of building a family.
Almost three years ago, I was diagnosed with nonobstructive azoospermia, a condition in which there is no sperm in a person’s ejaculate. My wife and I were given a 2% chance of ever having biological children. IVF is our only path toward that dream. We have discussed other options for creating a family, but why not try when the science is here? I’ve been through three clinics and three doctors and still can’t identify the cause. Happily, though, we are almost at the end of our IVF journey, moving toward the family we desire because of IVF.
There is no pinpointing yet as to why sperm counts halved between 1973 and 2011. Reportedly 10% of all men in the United States who are attempting to conceive, can’t. It is a huge problem. In the United States, about 9% of men and about 11% of women of reproductive age have experienced fertility problems. Diagnoses commonly given for those men suffering from it are oligozoospermia, a low sperm count; asthenozoospermia, low sperm motility; teratozoospermia, low sperm morphology; and my condition, azoospermia, no sperm in the ejaculate.
The causes cited for these diagnoses include varicoceles, or dilated veins in the scrotum; genetic disorders; hormone disorders; blocked sperm ducts; prostate issues; infections; medications; recreational drugs such as marijuana; and occupational or environmental toxins. Even sitting in a hot tub or placing a warm laptop on your lap can affect your sperm count.
Yet, as a society, we’ve barely addressed male fertility issues. Many men don’t know they are dealing with a related issue until they are trying to conceive, and doctors encourage trying for a year before getting tested for infertility. Not all fertility issues will lead to IVF, but a year can mean a lot to couples trying. Still, the onus almost always falls on women, putting the burden of conception on them. That’s not fair.
It’s a roller coaster of emotional distress. I often find myself in deep thought about my future family during the workday — distracted, depressed and disoriented during meetings. I hate the emotional toll it’s taken on my wife. But she always reassures me that we’re in this together.
Cost always plays an important factor in fertility care, and I think about it frequently. For many couples, the price of infertility treatment is astronomical, enough to stop them from pursuing it further.
Unfortunately, insurance companies see fertility as a privilege and not a right. Fertility has long been considered not essential to life.
But it is. It plays a pivotal role in creating life.
We can’t predict the future, but if the rate of male infertility keeps climbing, it’s going to become a serious problem for our country and certainly a financial and emotional drain on the many individuals who live here. The Senate failed to act on something it’s not fully educated on. So, what are we willing to do to change that?
Women will always have to carry the physical burden of IVF, but the emotional and financial toll is just as heavy on the hearts of men. It doesn’t help that many people, including politicians, seem to think this is just a women’s issue. It’s time for men to raise their voices and change the conversation.
There are experts out there who are actively trying to help infertile men father a biological child and destigmatize male infertility. They emphasize that this is a medical condition similar to elevated cholesterol. It is not a reflection of who someone is as a man.
My wife and I choose to openly talk about our experience with infertility with family and friends, and we are no longer surprised to find that many are going through a similar journey. For the men who are hesitant to get tested, know that you are not alone.
Bill Meincke is a journalist and multimedia producer based in Los Angeles.
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