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Infertility and Surrogacy
"If you’re undergoing fertility treatment and have noticed an increase in feelings of depression or anxiety, it’s likely not your imagination – research shows that the emotional distress associated with infertility is just as intense as it is for someone dealing with cancer, HIV or chronic pain. It’s a legitimate struggle and one that warrants support.
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Whether you seek counseling, a family therapist or a support group, infertility is not an experience you need to go through alone.
According to Harvard Health, infertility drugs and hormones can potentially cause a variety of psychological side effects. It states that the synthetic estrogen, clomiphene citrate (found in medications like Clomid and Serophene), which is often prescribed because it improves ovulation, may cause anxiety, sleep interruptions, mood swings and irritability.
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It’s not surprising that the stress of medication, injections, frequent appointments, and general requirements of an IVF cycle could cause symptoms of depression. Especially when the ultimate cycle outcome is not yet known, it’s understandable that the process could lead to a great deal of anxiety. Go through IVF multiple times, and the stress increases. According to a study of 200 couples, half of the women and 15% of the men said that infertility was the most upsetting experience of their lives."
Read more. And watch this fertility specialist describe how infertility and depression collide in this video, below.
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Resources
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SART - the Society for Assisted Reproductive Teachnology- is the primary organization of professionals dedicated to the practice of assisted reproductive technologies (ART) in the United States. ART includes the practice of In Vitro Fertilization (IVF). The mission of the organization is to set and help maintain the standards of ART in an effort to better serve our members and our patients.
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The National Infertility Association since 1974, RESOLVE has provided help to thousands of people experiencing infertility. Their mission is to provide timely, compassionate support and information through advocacy and public education to individuals who are experiencing infertility issues.
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Path2Parenthood (P2P) (formerly The American Fertility Association) is an inclusive organization committed to helping people create their families of choice by providing leading-edge outreach programs and timely educational information. The scope of our work encompasses reproductive health, infertility prevention and treatment, and family-building options including adoption and third party solutions. P2P is a national, not-for-profit 501(c)(3) charitable organization headquartered in New York City
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In 2010, Reproductive Biology Associates (RBA) established My Egg Bank North America (MEB-NA), a network of high quality infertility centers providing frozen donor egg bank services to patients across the United States and Canada. My Egg Bank donors meet all screening guidelines required by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM).
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Donor Egg Bank USA is a network of the most comprehensive frozen donor egg programs in the United States. Developed through a collaboration of the nation's most respected Reproductive Endocrinology Practices, Donor Egg Bank USA was created to fulfill the desire of physicians who wanted their patients to gain access to a diverse database of donors with the added convenience of a quicker treatment process.
Fertility Lifelines Provided by Serono, Inc.,
Fertility Lifelines is a free and confidential educational service offering customized information and support to people with fertility health concerns. It is staffed with highly trained customer service representatives, infertility nurses and benefits specialists ready to assist callers with general infertility information, insurance assistance, fertility specialist referral, and product support.
A TIME is an organization that offers advocacy, education, guidance, research and support through their many programs to Jewish men, women, and couples struggling with reproductive health and infertility.
Since 1996, Growing Generations has been a company passionately dedicated to the vision of creating life and, in the process, changing the world. Founded by gay and lesbian parents, their mission is simple – to build families of choice for the gay and lesbian community through surrogacy, egg donation, and sperm donation.
Circle Surrogacy believes in helping couples and individuals build the families they deserve. Bringing together intended parents, surrogates, and egg donors, we strive to achieve a world in which infertility and sexual orientation are no longer barriers to that dream.
Fertility SOURCE Companies’ mission is to provide individuals who are unable to conceive with the assistance they need to become parents, including matching them with an egg donor, surrogate or both. As one of the largest egg donor and surrogacy agencies operating on a national level in the United States, Fertility SOURCE Companies is proud to provide our clientele with the most comprehensive third party reproductive care and coordination. Through its divisions, The Donor SOURCE and The Surrogacy SOURCE, the company’s commitment is to provide the highest degree of compassion, support and guidance to recipients, egg donors and surrogates.
The Surrogacy Experience is a gestational surrogacy agency. We are a group of professionals dedicated to educating, supporting and advising intended parents and surrogate mothers as they come together in a very unique and special way to build families. We understand how extraordinary this can be because we have experienced it ourselves.
IHR - Internet Health Resources
This Web site provides extensive information about IVF, ICSI, infertility clinics, donor egg and surrogacy services, male infertility services, sperm banks, pharmacies, infertility books and videotapes, sperm testing, infertility support, and drugs and medications.
Dr. Werner received his specialized fellowship training in male infertility and male sexual dysfunction at Boston University Medical Center and has written extensively on these topics in medical journals and books. He completed his residency in Urology at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Manhattan and received his medical school training at the University of California at San Francisco. He holds an honors undergraduate degree in Biology from Harvard College.
National Embryo Donation Center
The National Embryo Donation Center (NEDC) is the only non-profit, medically directed organization assisting both embryo donors and recipients. Considering embryo donation or adoption is a big decision that has both emotional and financial concerns. We invite you to browse our website and find answers to many of the questions you may have.
The Donor Sibling Registry (DSR) was founded in 2000 to assist individuals conceived as a result of sperm, egg or embryo donation that are seeking to make mutually desired contact with others with whom they share genetic ties. Without any outside support, the DSR has single-handedly pioneered a national discussion about the donor conception industry and families, with its many media appearances and interviews. DSR advocates for the right to honesty and transparency for donor kids, and for social acceptance, legal rights and valuing the diversity of all families.
Nest Egg Foundation Inc. is a Connecticut-based tax exempt 501(c)(3) not for profit organization. Founded in 2015, the organization provides financial grants for IVF treatment to those who have been unable to start their families due to financial need. Nest Egg Foundation is a collaborative effort between medical and financial professionals, attorneys and others who care about building families and want to help those who cannot afford fertility treatments. Nest Egg Foundation aims to give opportunity to those struggling with infertility via education and access to treatment.
American Pregnancy Association
The American Pregnancy Association is a national health organization committed to promoting reproductive and pregnancy wellness through education, research, advocacy, and community awareness.
Men Having Babies, Inc. is a nonprofit organization that was spun off in July 2012 from a program that ran at the NYC LGBT Center since 2005. It started as a peer support network for biological gay fathers and fathers-to-be, offering monthly workshops and an annual seminar. Over time, elbaborate online resources were developed, the group's mailing list expanded to about 1500 couples and singles from around the world, and it was asked to organize seminars, exhibits and workshops in other locations.
Fertility Authority is a comprehensive, interactive online network for women — and men — seeking fertility and infertility information, advice, referrals and appointments. Our website is designed to provide quality information on a wide range of fertility topics, as well as simplify your search for a trusted fertility doctor or fertility clinic. We're the most comprehensive web portal dedicated solely to fertility with the quality tools and information to pursue your goals.
The Handsome Father aims to build a community of support for gay fathers no matter their path to fatherhood: foster care, adoption, surrogacy, co-parenting with a woman, or biological children from a heterosexual relationship. We can help fathers-to-be understand their own unique options for becoming a dad and how to be a great one! We strive to make the path to fatherhood easy to access and simple to understand. And once you become a dad, we foster a community of support to help you connect to other men who can understand and appreciate what it means to be a gay dad.
GayParentsToBe is an informational resource and link to gay parenting services. We strive to provide the best care for LGBT couples and individuals as they navigate all of the options to bring a child into the world. To better serve our LGBT community, Reproductive Medicine Associates of CT (RMACT) launched GayParentsToBe to more completely address the unique challenges same-sex couples and LGBT solo parents face when building their family.
EggBanxx is the first national network of fertility experts specialized in egg freezing. Created by women, for women, EggBanxx plans provide premium access to the best in care, support, financing and exclusive pricing.
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GLAAD rewrites the script for LGBT acceptance. As a dynamic media force, GLAAD tackles tough issues to shape the narrative and provoke dialogue that leads to cultural change. GLAAD protects all that has been accomplished and creates a world where everyone can live the life they love.
Fertility Within Reach
Through education and coaching, Fertility Within Reach aims to empower infertile individuals to advocate in order to build their family. Our intention is to support your communication process with physicians, insurance companies, employers and legislators in your efforts to access infertility treatment for yourself and the infertility community.
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Offering that there is so much that we can do to take ownership of our health and fertility that complimentary medicine with integrative and functional medicine create, For many of us, western medicine may run short in this arena. By creating fertility through an integrative and functional medicine model, one can optimize the opportunity to achieve the gift of a term and healthy pregnancy.
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What we are Reading
Below is a video that explores some of the complex emotions surrounding the intended parents in a surrogacy experience.