Most people consider having a child to be one of the biggest achievements that one could reach in their lifetime. Without the ability to reproduce at a consistent rate the world, along with the species that inhabit it, will parish. Having a child gives a person a chance to not only make sure that their own genic code will live on for another generation, but it also gives a person a chance to pass on their views on how life should be lived as far as lifestyle, religion and overall wisdom. According to the Central Intelligence Agency the current birth rate for the world is approximately 259 children born world wide per minute, which equates to about 4.3 births every second (CIA, 2018). The total fertility rate for women as of 2018 is about 2.4 children born per woman (CIA, 2018). Unfortunately, not every woman has the opportunity to experience the trials and tribulations of childbirth by natural means. While there are many different definitions, one definition of infertility is a disease of a persons reproductive system, which results in their inability to conceive a child though natural means of sexual intercourse or to carry a child to full term after trying to
conceive over the span of 12 months (WHO, 2019). About 11% of women in the United States between the ages of 15 and 44 are either unable to get pregnant or cannot carry a child to full term (Boulet, Smith, Crawford, Kissin, & Warner, 2017). People have placed more of a priority on their individual independence and financial health than they have on settling down and starting a family. While in past years it was normal for a person to be married with a child by the age of 21, more and more people are waiting to have their first child later in life in their late 30s and early 40s. Even though there is nothing wrong with wanting to be established before bringing another life into the world, after the age of 35 a womans chances of naturally conceiving declines (WebMD, 2005). If the woman is able to become pregnant after the age of 35, their pregnancy is considered to be geriatric meaning they are at a higher risk of complications such as a miscarriage at any time during the pregnancy (WebMD, 2005). Apart from known physical implications on fertility, there are many women and men that have no true diagnosis on why they are unable to conceive a child by natural means.