Infertility and Adoption

by Douglas R. Donnelly

At no time in the history of the United States have more couples been hoping to adopt than today. There are more infertile couples, in actual numbers, than ever before, and there is a higher incidence of infertility among married couples than at any time in American history. Although hard figures are not available, it is estimated that between 20 and 25 percent of all married couples experience an infertility problem of sufficient concern as to cause them to seek out medical advice.

Until very recently, approximately 12.5 percent of all married couples suffered from an infertility problem so severe that they were unable to bear a child, even with medical attention. In other words, about one-half of all infertile couples have been unable to bear a child even with medical assistance.

People often ask why the rate of infertility has grown so high. We have no simple answer, but the consensus is that the high rate in our society is largely due to cultural and environmental developments. In the pursuit of career goals, women are deferring childbearing, often to an age that is well past their prime childbearing years. As a result, by the time many women feel that they are ready to start their families, it may be biologically too late. Furthermore, as women increasingly pursue careers, they are encountering stress-related infertility problems. For example, a disease called endometriosis, which causes growth to occur on a woman"s reproductive organs, is believed to result, at least in part, from stress including job stress. For this reason, many obstetricians and gynecologists are referring to endometriosis today as the "career woman"s disease," and it is one of the increasingly common causes of infertility in our society.