Infertility

Fifty years ago, infertility was a nonissue, as the topic was not discussed socially and little was known about it scientifically. Now, however, there are countless media reports, more infertile women in the population, and a larger proportion of infertile couples seeking treatment in a fertility industry that is estimated at $3 billion annually. Although infertility is now an issue, it does not come without controversy. The first segment explains how infertility is differently defined, some major causes of infertility, women's personal responses to infertility, and the available medical treatments and their success rates. The next section discusses bioevolutionary and social/cultural theories of motherhood as they pertain to infertility, and ends with some larger societal implications of fertility treatments for motherhood.

In the United States, rates of involuntary childlessness are reported to be increasing, with 2002 reports from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) showing that 7.4 percent of married women experienced infertility. By 2007, it was reported that one in seven men and women experience infertility. Infertility is also a problem of global proportions, and the industry reflects the unequal distribution of wealth around the world. Infertility affects on average 8–12 percent of couples worldwide, yet the numbers may not represent the entire world because infertility problems are underreported in developing countries due to the focus on perceived overpopulation problems. Fertility treatment services are available in developed countries and services cross borders, as sperm can be ordered from several developed countries. Further, one can hire the services of surrogate mothers in India. Recent reports show [Page 565]that today's failing global economy is increasing the sales of surrogacy.