Argumentative Essay On Infertility

“The longer you wait for something, the more you’ll appreciate it when you get it. Because anything worth having is definitely worth waiting for” (Unknown). What is worth waiting for? A family? Children? How far are you willing to go? How much are you willing to spend? What are you willing to go through? These are questions that couples ask themselves everyday. How far should you go to bring a baby into this world?

The definition of infertility is: “the absence of conception after six months to a year of regular, unprotected sexual intercourse” (Dictionary.com). Some basic causes of infertility for women are cystic ovaries, stress, pelvic infection, drug use, or their weight. The mucus around the cervix may be too thin, too thick, or too acidic

The doctor will then do a transvaginal ultrasound. That gives him access to see the uterus, ovaries, and Fallopian tubes. He can detect many abnormalities that may lead to infertility such as fibroids, polyps, tubal occlusion, or ovarian cysts (“Infertility: Symptoms, Treatments, Diagnosis”). The doctor will also educate the couple on what is causing their infertility, and he will inform them of all of their options. He will also test the woman’s blood for certain hormones. The most common hormones the doctor tests for are Estradiol and FSH (follicle stimulating hormone), which are related to ovarian function and the number of eggs a woman has. He will then prescribe fertility drugs in the form of a pill or an injection. This is usually the only treatment needed for women who have trouble ovulating. The most generally prescribed pill is clomiphene citrate. Clomiphene is an anti-estrogen which binds in a part of the brain called the hypothalamus. It stimulates the ovary to grow and release an egg (“Infertility: Symptoms, Treatments, Diagnosis”). The most common injection is gonadotropin. It is injected every night for 5-10 days. It acts directly on the cells of the ovaries. After that round of injections is complete, the woman will be given an injection called HCG (human chorionic gonadotropin). HCG leads to the eggs fully maturing and being released. After the eggs are mature, the fertility

Most couples do several cycles before one is successful. Another unbelieveable thing I read is that some fertility clinics will make a deal with couples in an atempt to lessen the price. They say if the couple will pay $20,000 more than what is typically charged (it ends up being about $50,000) they promise multiple procedures until one is successful. If they aren’t successful after a set period of time the couple will get a full refund. The catch is that most of the time they are successful the first time, so the couple could have paid $30,000, but instead they spent $50,000 for the clinic to keep (“A Baby or Your Money Back”).

Many couples around the world simply want to have a baby, yet so many are unable to. There are many solutions to whatever the problem may be, but it doesn’t come easy. Some couples spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on treatments and drugs. Some women are in gruesome pain from their orange-sized ovaries, and some women undergo several surgeries. After countless rounds of treatments and thousands of dollars later, couples have to ask themselves: is it still it worth