FDA Standing in the Way of You Starting a Family?

Many families are a natural hormone away from starting a family, if only the FDA would get out of the way. Action Alert! Nearly one in six couples experience difficulty conceiving, a challenge that leads many hopeful parents to turn to in vitro fertilization (IVF)—when the egg and the sperm are manually combined in a lab and then transferred to the uterus. This process is very expensive: average costs in the US are around $12,000, not including the medications that are needed. It is not uncommon for couples to need more than one treatment to conceive. Beyond the financial commitment, there are also significant risks, including: ovarian cancer, birth defects, stress, ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome, nausea and vomiting, premature delivery and low birth weight, and multiple births. The medications that accompany IVF also have the following complications: headaches, mood swings, abdominal pain, hot flashes, and abdominal bloating. For those couples for whom IVF is the best option, is it worth it? Absolutely. But what if there were a better way?