by Alison Bowler

Created on: June 27, 2008   Last Updated: April 24, 2010

Reproduction is a driving force in nature; all living things feel the need to procreate in order to continue their species. A couple who have made a commitment to each and wish to have a child expect to be able to do just that. Unfortunately, this is not always the case.

An infertile couple will frequently see friends, relatives and colleagues starting families, they may also be under pressure from their parents who wish to become grandparents. Eventually they may well seek medical assistance for their problem. At this point, the pressure grows on them immeasurably. It is a long and frequently painful road to travel and even then, there is no guarantee of a child at the end.

With the start of medical testing procedures, the couple begins a rollercoaster ride of hope and disappointments. Each test has the potential to point to a cause and hopefully a cure of their particular problem. At the same time, many people dread that visit to the doctors to find out the latest results, they do not want to find out that they are in some way faulty. When one partner is found to be infertile it is important not to blame that individual for the lack of children in a marriage. Instead, they need to be able to support each other at this time, a supreme test of a relationship.

When a diagnosis is eventually obtained and, where possible, treatment has started, the sex act often ceases to be one of joy and love. Instead, it becomes a job, that must be carried out on a particular day to maximize the chance of conception. A relationship under this kind of pressure is hard to maintain.

Where further medical intervention, such as in vitro fertilization, is required, then the act of procreation becomes clinical. Of course, there is still no guarantee that the procedures will be successful. Also with in vitro fertilization, the woman requires drugs to stimulate ovulation along with the surgery required to harvest the eggs. This again is quite a commitment.

If one partner is sterile and there is no treatment available to correct this, then the use of donor eggs or sperm may be required. This means that one parent has no genetic relationship to the child. Occasionally this may lead them to have problems bonding with the resultant offspring. In this scenario, they will need a lot of support and encouragement from their partner to accept the child as their own

It may be necessary to employ a surrogate mother for a child to enter into the family. This can end up as a legal mine field if

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>