Potential male infertility factors include azoospermia (no sperm cells are produced) and oligospermia (few sperm cells are produced). Sperm cells are sometimes malformed or they die before they can reach the egg. In rare cases, infertility in men is caused by a genetic disease such as cystic fibrosis or a chromosomal abnormality.

Common female infertility factors include ovulation disorders, blocked fallopian tubes, which can occur when a woman has had pelvic inflammatory disease or endometriosis (a sometimes painful condition causing adhesions and cysts). Congenital anomalies involving the structure of the uterus and uterine fibroids may be associated with repeated miscarriages. 

2. MYTH: The truth is, most people get pregnant at the drop of a hat.

FACT: More than 6.1 million people of childbearing age in the United States experience infertility -- about 10-15 percent of the reproductive-age population, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

3. MYTH: It's all psychological: Stress is the leading cause of infertility. People just need to relax and they'll get pregnant.

FACT: Infertility is a medical problem; it is a disease or condition of the reproductive system. While relaxation may help with overall quality of life, stress and deep emotions may result from struggles with infertility, not cause it. A recent survey conducted for RESOLVE, The National Infertility Association, revealed that 22 percent of women mistakenly believe that stress is the #1 cause of difficulty conceiving, rather than a medical condition. At least 50 percent of those who complete an infertility evaluation respond to treatment with a successful pregnancy. Those who do not seek help have a "spontaneous cure rate" of about 5 percent after a year of infertility.

4. MYTH: After people adopt a baby they usually get pregnant.

FACT: Studies reveal that the rate for achieving pregnancy after adopting is the same as for those who do not adopt.

5. MYTH: Adoption is the only ethical and ecological solution to infertility: it’s a lot cheaper and easier than medical treatment and there are so many babies out there who need homes.

FACT: “The biological urge to have children is quite strong,” says Dr. Samuel Pang of Reproductive Science Center of New England, “the truth is that most patients we treat for infertility exhaust their options for medical treatment prior to considering adoption.” Contemporary adoption options have changed, and adoption can be more costly and time-consuming than expected. It is, however, still possible to adopt a healthy baby.

6. MYTH: Marriages rarely survive infertility struggles.

FACT: The majority of couples manage the infertility crisis effectively. In the process, they learn new ways of relating to each other, improve their understanding of different coping styles they may have, and deepen their communication, which actually serves to improve their relationship in years to follow.

7. MYTH:  Infertility is not problematic for people until they hit their late 30's.

FACT: Most people are not aware that for women, pregnancy rates begin to decline in their early 30’s or sooner, although the most significant decline occurs in the mid 30's. According to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, approximately 10 percent of women under 35 experience infertility and that number more than doubles to 22 percent for women ages 35-39. For women over 40 years old, the number nearly triples to 29 percent. Infertility is defined for patients under the age of 35 as the failure to conceive after one year of intercourse without using contraceptives. For patients older than 35, this time frame is shortened to six months. In addition, recent research indicates that men, too, may experience a decline in fertility with age.

“The drop in natural pregnancy rates is directly correlated to the effects of normal ovarian aging - as women age, their eggs become less fertile and chromosomal abnormalities may begin to appear,” says Dr. Isaac Glatstein of Reproductive Science Center of New England. “But the good news is that with the appropriate treatment, up to 80 percent of our patients will conceive.”

8. MYTH: People who have successfully conceived before shouldn’t have trouble with fertility later in life.

FACT: According to the National Survey of Family Growth, more than one million couples grapple with “secondary infertility.” A previously fertile partner may be trying to have a child with a new spouse, or one or both partners in an existing relationship have developed fertility problems since their last child was conceived, (e.g., endometriosis – one of the most frequent causes of secondary infertility in women), irregular ovulation, or fallopian tube disease. Or a man might have had a decline in the concentration or motility of his sperm. Other factors can involve age (even one or two years can make a big difference in a woman's fertility cycle and a man's sperm count), scarring after childbirth, or hormonal changes, which can affect ovulation and sperm production.

9. MYTH: Infertility treatment has gotten way too high-tech.

FACT:  Most infertility problems - 85 to 90 percent - are treated with conventional therapies, such as drug treatment or surgical repair of reproductive organs. For infertile couples where women have blocked or absent fallopian tubes, or where men have low sperm counts, in vitro fertilization (IVF) offers a chance at parenthood to couples who until recently would have had no hope of having a "biologically related" child.

IVF accounts for less than 5 percent of all infertility treatment in the United States. Since IVF was introduced in the United States, in 1981 through the end of 2002, almost 300,000 babies have been born as a result of reported Assisted Reproductive Technology procedures (ART). IVF currently accounts for about 99 percent of ART procedures. In 2002, approximately one in every hundred babies born in the United States was conceived using ART.

10. MYTH: IVF is still pretty risky.

FACT:  According to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), the average live delivery rate for IVF in 2000 was 29.9 percent per retrieval -- slightly better than the 20 percent chance that a reproductively healthy couple has of achieving a pregnancy and carrying it to term.

11. MYTH: Using IVF means multiple births.

FACT:  New advances in reproductive medicine, such as ultrasound-guided embryo transfer, allow physicians to transfer the smallest number of embryos possible resulting in a lower risk of multiple births.

With multiple transfers come a heightened chance of multiple births, which dramatically increase the odds of prematurity, low birth weight, disability, and death for the infants, and risks of preeclampsia, diabetes, placental problems, caesarean section and other delivery complications for the mother.

“We are much more aggressive in informing patients about all the things that can go wrong with multiple pregnancies,” said Dr. Isaac Glatstein of Reproductive Science Center of New England. “We’re not comfortable being part of unnecessary risk, and we are letting our patients know that in as plain a language as possible.”

12. MYTH: The “hips up theory” is the best position for conception.

FACT: It doesn't matter what position is used. The sperm has to get into the cervical mucus within five minutes, or they are inactivated by the active PH of the vagina. So having hips rest on a pillow or staying in the position at the time of ejaculation will not enhance fertility.

13. MYTH: Egg freezing is only useful for women with medical conditions like cancer.

FACT: Egg freezing is a relatively new and technologically evolving option for single women under 40 who are concerned about their fertility options. Cyropreservation technology is improving as techniques are shared and enhanced.

14. MYTH: Taking two double-strength aspirin a day can help fertility.

FACT: There's no data to indicate taking two double-strength aspirin a day or any aspirin whatsoever can help fertility; some studies suggest that it can adversely affect ovulation and the release of the egg. For select women who have problems with miscarriage or have a tendency toward easy blood clotting, one baby aspirin a day can make the difference between a successful and unsuccessful pregnancy.

15. MYTH: Robitussin cough medicine can help with conception.

FACT: For a long time Robitussin was used by physicians and women alike to improve cervical mucus. In a randomized placebo controlled study, there was no difference in either cervical mucus quality or pregnancy rate with the use of Robitussin.

16. MYTH: Methods like acupuncture don’t help with infertility

FACT: Studies comparing women who went through acupuncture and women who didn't, indicate it may enhance fertility. In fact, there are acupuncturists now who specialize in fertility, and “our patients who have utilized acupuncture and other complementary methods may have benefited,” says Dr. Samuel Pang of Reproductive Science Center of New England.

17. MYTH: Diet is important for pregnancy, not conception.

FACT: Removing sugars from the diet, (e.g., caffeine, white flour, white sugar, white corn, white rice, etc.), may improve ovulation and regularity. Foods that are broken down quickly raise insulin levels too quickly and disrupt delicate hormonal values in the ovaries causing more testosterone to be produced, impairing egg quality and thus possibly lowering the chance of conception. In some women, high insulin levels may cause irregular ovulation, irregular periods, or polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS).

18. MYTH: People with lower body fat, like marathon runners and dancers, get pregnant more easily.

FACT: Body fat within normal range, which is between 20 and 24 percent of body weight for women, is very important in making sure that the reproductive system functions normally. If the body mass  index or BMI, which is a measure of body fat, is too low or too high, it can adversely affect the ability to conceive. According to RESOLVE, The National Infertility Association, body fat levels 10 percent to 15 percent below normal can completely shut down the reproductive process. Women at risk include those with eating disorders, such as anorexia nervosa or bulimia, and women on a very low-calorie or restrictive diet. Strict vegetarians also may experience infertility problems due to a lack of important nutrients such as vitamin B-12, zinc, iron and folic acid.

19. MYTH: Sugar substitutes interfere with conception less than natural sugar.

FACT: No data exists that has shown that overall usage of sugar substitutes is better than the possible negative effects of sugar. Natural sweeteners like fructose and stevia, Maltall and zyletol may be used in moderate amounts.

20. MYTH: Cannabis (marijuana) has no impact on conception or healthy embryo development.

FACT: Smoking cannabis may lead to miscarriages or ectopic pregnancies, according to University of Nashville research just published in the July Journal of Clinical Investigation. Vanderbilt University researchers in Nashville, Tennessee, have also found that cannabis can trigger inadequate chemical levels that prevent normal embryo development, transport into the uterus and implantation. “Unquestionably, marijuana use in both men and women should be eliminated if they desire to conceive,” says Dr. Isaac Glatstein of Reproductive Science Center of New England.