The couple who waited three years too long

A couple came to see me after three years of trying, apologizing for “waiting so long to ask for help.”

I gently told them something they had never been told before:

You don't always have to wait years before seeking an evaluation.

For couples trying to conceive, evaluation is generally recommended after:

12 months of regular, unprotected intercourse if the woman is under 35

or

6 months if the woman is 35 or older.

They had spent three years worrying in silence when, clinically, it may have been appropriate to seek help much earlier.

That gap between what couples assume and what clinical guidelines actually recommend is exactly why understanding the definition of infertility matters.

Understanding Infertility to help couples know when to ask questions, when to seek evaluation, and what to expect.

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