Infertility is defined as; "a couple’s inability to conceive after one year of unprotected intercourse" (World Health Organisation). Infertility can be primary (before the birth of a child) or secondary (after the birth of one or more children). A fertile couple in their mid-twenties having regular sexual intercourse has approximately a one-in-four chance of conceiving each month. The ability to have a child is taken for granted by most people and by society in general, but one in six couples do not conceive on their own and seek help to achieve a pregnancy. The overall success rate with assisted conception is quite low and the couple undergoing such treatments maybe devastated when they are unsuccessful.
The emotions individuals and couples may feel while dealing with infertility are similar to feelings experienced on the death of a loved one. This is because the dream of having a baby has “died” with the inability to become pregnant. Especially during the first 3 to 4 years of married life, many couples are regularly hurt by insensitive remarks made to them as to why they do not have children. Child-focused celebrations, such as Christmas or Mothers day, can be hard to take due to relentless advertising portraying happy families with children.
As a voluntary group, our main concern is for infertile couples.