Protecting Fetility

Collarspace Discussion Forums

Home Login Search

Protecting Fetility

View related threads: (in this forum | in all forums)

Logged in as: Guest

All Forums >> [Community Discussions] >> Health and Safety >> Protecting Fetility

Page: [1]

Message

<< Older Topic Newer Topic >>

Protecting Fetility - 8/10/2008 11:32:52 AM

candystripper

Posts: 3486
Joined: 11/1/2005
Status: offline

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

Profile

Post #: 1

RE: Protecting Fetility - 8/10/2008 1:55:45 PM

PanthersMom

Posts: 2215
Joined: 11/26/2007
From: Cleveland Ohio
Status: offline

these pills that cause women to skip periods for months on end and iud's that scrape and can possibly scar uterine tissues, i wonder just how many women will regret using them. seems like a bad idea to me. i dealt with infertility, multiple miscarriages, and a child born prematurely who hads multiple handicaps. i did the best i could to maintain good health and still had problems, and eventually dealt with a severe case of endometriosis. i wonder what these wonders of modern medicine will do to the fertility of our young women. time will tell.
PM

_____________________________

That which does not kill me, better run pretty damn fast

I miss my ex, but my aim is improving!

(in reply to candystripper)

Profile

Post #: 2

RE: Protecting Fetility - 8/10/2008 4:30:56 PM

Highlands

Posts: 21
Joined: 7/19/2008
Status: offline

What I have noticed is that American society seems to be bifurcating into one camp that thinks children are a blessing-but sex is rather suspect(which I how I see a lot of fundamentalists) and another camp that thinks any sex act is ok so long as it doesn't involve reproduction.

I think this issue of reproductive health is very important-and one I have tried to discuss with my own children. The issue of STD's is VERY important because that is one of the most avoidable issues of infertility.

Now, one thing I also have seen around me quite a bit is even folks that want children are delaying having children to the edge of where it it is healthy to do so. You are seeing a huge percentage of births in some upper middle class hospitals that involve IVF or AI because of various fertility problem.

(in reply to PanthersMom)

Profile

Post #: 3