A guidebook created by the New York State Task Force on Life and the Law

Questions and Answers about Infertility and its Treatment:

As part of our continuing efforts to bring you the latest information on infertility issues we have created bookmarks, which display quick facts about the NYS mandate for insurance coverage for infertility. Bookmarks have been distributed to clinics throughout NYS. contact us for more information.

Adoption Option Video

To reserve your copy, please call Ferre Institute at 607-724-4308, or e-mail us

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A Resource for the Deaf Community:

Welcome to the first in our video series describing infertility facts, causes, and resources

Hello and welcome to our video series describing infertility facts, causes, and resources. Infertility is defined as the inability of a couple to achieve a successful pregnancy after one year of unprotected and planned sexual intercourse. It is estimated that approximately 1 in 8 couples face difficulty in achieving pregnancy. This is almost 8 million couples. Some couples are having difficulty having their first baby. This is called primary infertility. Some want more children and are having difficulty; this is called secondary infertility. There are explanations and solutions for many couples. Often there is a medical reason for infertility which can be treated. Approximately 30% of the time a woman has a medical issue, 30% of the time the man has a medical issue, and 30% of the time both the man and woman need treatment. Many women and men wonder if and when they should seek an infertility evaluation. Some couples have clues that they may be at risk for a problem sooner than that. For instance, if a woman has irregular menstrual cycles or an abnormally shaped uterus she may wish to speak with her doctor sooner and learn how that could impact her fertility, and whether further evaluations and treatments are necessary. Women who are 35 years of age and older may wish to seek medical advice after 6 months of trying. Sometimes men have medical conditions or workplace exposures that affect sperm production. Many couples will eventually have the children they want, some with little or no medical treatment. Some couples after many medical treatments may decide to learn more about assisted reproductive technologies like in-vitro fertilization, commonly called IVF. Our website hopes to provide information for women and men when they want to understand more about infertility, common tests, and common treatments. It is important if you have questions to talk with your doctor, nurse practitioner, or find a family planning clinic that can help you take the first steps. For more information, visit www.infertilityeducation.org and our facebook page. Keep checking for future informational videos. ASL Instructor & Linguistic Consultant- Dee Davis MA, CSC, NIC Videographer- Kate Murray – STUDIO271 Text preparation- Erin Houghton MS CGC December 2011 A value is required.

ASL Instructor & Linguistic Consultant- Dee Davis MA, CSC, NIC
Videographer- Kate Murray – STUDIO271
Text preparation- Erin Houghton MS CGC
December 2011

The Infertility Education Program...

provides information and resources on infertility and related health issues to healthcare professionals and the public. More specifically we make available, to couples experiencing problems bearing a child, resources for treatment and resolution of infertility, and adoption options. Professional resources include training in infertility and related reproductive health issues.

Community Education about Infertility

One in six couples experience infertility in their lifetime. Treatment options range from simple patient education to complicated and expensive surgical procedures. The medical focus on costly high tech treatment has fostered a perception for many that treatment is financially, and sometimes geographically, out of reach. To balance that perception, Ferre provides accessible information on the full range of infertility treatments.

Ferre's community based-community supported educational programs and publications increase community awareness of the problem of impaired fertility, and specific knowledge of treatment options and providers. Ferre has asserted that infertility is and should be an integral part of family planning services. Viewed within the larger context of "family planning", Ferre's programs are patient-centered and aimed at the diverse population within our region.

Key Statistics from the National Survey of Family Growth-Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Of the approximately 62 million women of reproductive age in 2002, about 1.2 million, or 2%, had an infertility-related medical appointment within the previous year, and 8% had an infertility-related medical visit at some point in the past.-(http://www.cdc.gov/ART/)

• Percent of all married women 15-44 years of age who are infertile (i.e., who are not surgically sterile, have not used contraception in the past 12 months, and have not become pregnant), 2002: 7.4%
  

• Percent of married childless women 15-44 years of age who are infertile by current age, 2002:
  • Total (15-44): 16.6%
    • 15-29 years: 11.0%
    • 30-34 years: 16.9%
    • 35-39 years: 22.6%
    • 40-44 years: 27.4%

• Percent of women 15-44 years of age who have ever received any infertility services, 2002: 11.9% (7.3 million).

• Percent of women 15-44 years of age who have ever received infertility services, by type of service, 2002:
  • Advice: 6.1%
  • Medical help to prevent miscarriage: 5.5%
  • Tests on woman or man: 4.8%
  • Ovulation drugs: 3.8%
  • Artificial insemination: 1.1%

• Percent of childless women 15-44 years of age who have ever received any infertility service, by current age, 2002:
  • Total (15-44): 7.1%
    • 15-29 years: 2.9%
    • 30-34 years: 17.3%
    • 35-39 years :15.2%
    • 40-44 years: 29.1%

-(http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nsfg/abc_list_i.htm#
infertility)

Adoption

Adoption is a key component of Ferre Institute's family building mission.

We are a trusted and respected source of information about the adoption option for professional medical providers, counselors and educators specializing in the family planning and community health environments.

Current programs include the workshop, "Opening a Dialogue About Adoption- How to Keep the Conversation about Adoption Option from Ending Prematurely", which features a self-awareness assessment for adoption attitudes, appropriate adoption language, an overview of laws and regulations, options within adoption (agency and private), community resources for counselors and birthmothers, the emotions of adoption, and practice skills in counsleing.

For more informaton please contact us.

Adoption Option Video

Ferre Institute, Inc. is very proud to announce that our new video, Adoption Option, is now available! This eight-minute video was designed for use in clinical and educational settings by women with unintended pregnancies for whom adoption may be a choice. The idea for the video grew out of our ongoing trainings for family planning counselors who are concerned that conversations about adoption with pregnant patients often end prematurely when the patient expresses a negative sentiment about the option .

This video, featuring actual birth parents, birth grandparents, and adoptive families conveys an overview of the adoption process, various adoption situations/choices, and the emotional aspects that must be considered all in a positive and caring context. Adoption Option is short enough to use during a patient counseling visit, and is also an ideal discussion starter for an educational setting.

To reserve your copy, please call Ferre Institute at 607-724-4308, or e-mail us

© 2002-2011 Infertility Educaton is a program ofFerre Institute Inc., 124 Front Street, Binghamton, NY 13905