The new face of infertility is getting younger, USA Today reports. Specialists aren't just seeing women who are 35 and older anymore as reproductive challenges are starting to change "the life plans of many in their late 20s and early 30s," according to the USA Today article.
"The older woman is sort of a myth, even though that's the public perception. Infertility affects women and men at all ages," says Barbara Collura, executive director of RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association, as quoted by USA Today.
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According to the article, an increasing number of younger women are seeking the help of fertility specialists. They are often "impatient to start families; often they haven't been trying a year before seeking treatment," which is considered standard practice for women younger than 35.
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The Internet has served as a valuable tool for younger women facing challenges in conceiving—both as a source for facts and emotional support. "They search the Internet for information … and are outspoken about their disappointment as they put a new face on a topic once considered taboo," the USA Today article reports. Women's health experts are increasingly advising women in their 20s to start thinking about their reproductive future. "The best time to have a baby is up to age 32," says reproductive endocrinologist Pasquale Patrizio, director of the Yale Fertility Center in New Haven, Conn., as quoted by USA Today.
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Infertility problems are diagnosed in 1 in 10 U.S. couples, yet half eventually bear a child, according to WebMD.
