We might think we know how babies are made, but it seems we may not know quite as much as we thought.
Health on Female First
Sexual health charity FPA reports that a significant proportion of couples trying to conceive don’t understand enough about fertility and as a result may mistakenly believe they have a medical problem.
It points to evidence from a study commissioned by FPA revealing that 50 per cent of adults couldn’t answer or didn’t know basic facts about reproduction, such as when in her cycle a woman is at her most fertile.
As a result, couples trying to get pregnant could suffer unnecessary stress as well as wasting money on expensive fertility tests and treatments.
Natika H Halil, Director of Information for FPA says: “Many people trying to conceive have never been taught the basic facts about their own reproductive cycle. As a result couples may mistakenly believe themselves to be infertile, causing them to seek expensive fertility treatments and suffer a great deal of stress, when there is really no need.
“Equally, couples with a genuine problem may be waiting for nature to take its course, when in fact there is a fertility issue and they need professional help without delay” she concluded.
FPA also believes that the government should be doing more to actively increase the number of women taking folic acid supplements before and during pregnancy. It points to the fact that there is currently no government backed health campaign to raise awareness of how taking folic acid helps to prevent serious abnormalities of a baby's brain and nerves.
To reduce these potential problems, FPA has announced the launch of specially created Fertility Awareness Kits to assist couples to take a more informed and planned approach to starting or extending a family. The kits are available for sale through its website (www.fpadirect.org.uk).
The packs contain information and guidance from FPA, as well as the most useful products to use for planning a pregnancy. The packs also contain folic acid supplements along with information from the specialist charity Shine, which works to raise awareness about how folic acid helps prevent conditions such as spina bifida.
The charity has also produced simple online guides to the most common myths about fertility and ten steps to take when planning a pregnancy It also provides advice and information through its helpline (0845 122 8690).
Tagged in Health Pregnancy Women's Health Pregnancy Health Fertility