Written for Mediaplanet‘s 2014 Expecting Parents campaign.
Published September 2014 for online and print.
Bringing a child into the world is a miracle, and for couples dealing with infertility issues, new procedures can help make miracles happen.
“There’s an awful lot of couples who don’t realize that they can’t get pregnant forever,” says Dr. Scot Hamilton, President of the Canadian Fertility and Andrology Society.
Roughly one in six couples in Canada will experience issues with infertility — and both men and women can have problems conceiving. Causes of infertility range from medical treatment, such as chemotherapy, to advanced age, to conditions such as diabetes or hormone imbalances. Lifestyle factors such as smoking, alcohol consumption, and maintaining an unhealthy weight can also contribute to a couple’s ability to get pregnant.
And it seems like these figures are on the rise. According to the federal government, the rate of infertility in Canada has doubled since the 1980s.“Everybody knows somebody and cares about somebody who’s had to deal with it,” says Hamilton, adding that while there are more people dealing with infertility issues, there are also more treatment options than ever before.
Ishani Nath 