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candystripper -> Protecting Fetility (8/10/2008 11:32:52 AM)
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I myself am no longer in the baby making stage of life -- more's the pity -- but I pick up from younger women an attitude with which I'm very familiar. They are diligent about preventing unwanted pregnancy, and somewhat diligent about stds, but rarely give a thought to protecting their fertility for that time in the future -- if it comes -- when a baby is very much wanted.
IMO, the traditional medical establishment has a very cavalier attitude about fertility until it becomes an issue -- and a potential resource generator. MDs are not informing women (in some cases) of the potential damage to fertility that certain types of birth control carry -- hell I'm not even sure the FDA requires the pharm companies to test for this before releasing new drugs. Women generally are not told by thir MDs about the damage to their fertility that certain stds may cause -- they aren't even tested for them.
Add to the mix a sense I have that this generation of women blithely believes that healthy children may be had at any age before menopause. Some don't seem to realise there is such a thing as 'early onset menopause'....others seem unaware of long standing studies showing the risks of down's syndrome and other genetic defects in babies born to mothers over age 35.
I'm not writing this to frighten anyone, and certainly not to be an alarmist, but I was a member of the generation which was first given the pill. Turns out, those early scripts were much, much more laden with hormones than was necessary to prevent pregnancy. When I finally wanted a child, it took me two years of taking my temp, having sex on a schedule, laying there afterwards for 15 minutes, etc. -- and who knows if any of these things worked or if I just got lucky.
A woman not using any form of birth control, having regular sex, should as a rule come up pregnant within six months. I don't think many MDs tell this to women either. If a year has passed and no pregnancy has happened, it's time to seek professional assistance.
All our lives have seasons. At this point, a prenancy may be the last thing you want....but someday that may change and you may want one quite badly. I'd like all of us to have the joy of a healthy baby if we so choose.
candystripper
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