CDC seeking comments on National Infertility Action Plan

Submitted by Minuteman on Tue, 2012-06-05 16:08

Readers knowledgeable or with direct experience of such issues may want to ensure that mens' fertility concerns are also adequately addressed.

Link here. Excerpt:

'In 2007, a CDC-wide ad hoc workgroup formed to examine the full scope of infertility activities across the agency. This workgroup conducted an assessment to identify gaps and opportunities in public health surveillance, research, communications, programs, and policy development, which led to the 2010 publication of a white paper outlining the need for a national plan, with a public health focus, on infertility prevention, detection, and management. In consultation with many governmental and nongovernmental partners, CDC developed the National Public Health Action Plan for the Detection, Prevention and Management of Infertility. Addressing both male and female infertility, the plan outlines and summarizes actions needed to promote, preserve, and restore the ability of women in the United States to conceive, carry a pregnancy to term, and deliver a healthy infant. This goal extends beyond simply addressing the inability to conceive but also focuses on reducing the burden of impaired fecundity by promoting behaviors that maintain fertility; by promoting prevention, early detection, and treatment of medical conditions; and by reducing environmental and occupational threats to fertility. Given the public health focus of this action plan, promoting healthy pregnancy outcomes associated with treating and managing infertility is also important, as is improving the efficacy and safety of infertility treatment.'

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Comments

My family has a long history of infertility (hence I am adopted).

I agree it is important to make sure men's infertility issues are represented. However, as a matter of biology, women have way more things that can go wrong as 99% of conception and pregnancy and birth is up to us. We are the limiting factor in reproduction. (1 man and 100 women can make 100 babies, but 1 woman and 100 men can only make 1 baby).

Plastics are a big concern for men's fertility as plastic turns into a estrogen like hormone and causes havoc in male genitals and sperm production. That's really the only male fertility issue I can think of right now.

Also somewhat of a men's issue (at least I think it is), is the way women are prolonging single life and then trying to have babies in their 40's. This is leading to the use of artificial conception methods which often have complications and premature births. Male embryos and male newborns are more susceptible to problems compare to females and more often end in miscarriage or born with birth defects. Artificial methods also lead to more female fetuses. Female embryos more often split into identical twins (ever notice all the identical female twins born to older mothers ?). There are now more females being born and more males born with birth defects caused by women postponing motherhood.

Abortions are another factor. I can assure you that any women who has remained childless up until her mid 30s has probably had abortions (abortions effect future fertility and can "pass on" blood disorders to future siblings). This is a men's issue because abortion allows women to feel like she can postpone motherhood (and act irresponsibly and can "have it all"), and as I explained above, having children at an older age and any antigens in the blood caused by past abortions (or any past pregnancy) is more likely to negatively effect male fetuses/babies compared to female fetuses/babies.

MRAs may not like more focus on women when it comes to fertility, but women' behavior (like how mothers take care of themselves during pregnancy) should be MRAs concerns as many miscarriages and birth defects can often be directly contributed to the mother's behavior and health.

The healthiest newborn babies come from first-time mothers in their twenties. Since the article is about fertility and promoting healthy babies, I want to point out that the mothers who are most likely to produce the healthiest babies (are in their twenties, first pregnancy, healthy lifestyle, access to healthcare and economically stable) are also the group most likely to abort.

If we want healthy newborns our society needs to impose laws and social policies that promote both fatherhood and motherhood. IMO, most (all?) of the change needs to come from women and the biased legal system.

However, I doubt a government agency will take it from this perspective as no one wants to tell women they cannot have it all. Unfortunately the government will probably focus their attention on better artificial fertility methods for older women.

(PS- sorry about the poor flow of this post, but I was interrupted during much of the writing and don't feel like editing)

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Submitted by Kris on Wed, 2012-06-06 06:00

At one point, not that long ago, women got married and then had babies. It was a cultural norm, not one enforced by the government. On the contrary, the government undermined those cultural norms with such things as coercive divorce and welfare.

The problem is it will be difficult for the government to re-institute those norms. It can't, for example, force women to marry before having kids. Thus, when you say the government probably won't do anything about it, you're right.

It what's I call the Humpty-Dumpty effect: what government has torn to pieces, all the king's horses and all the king's men cannot put back together again.

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Submitted by el cid on Thu, 2012-06-07 03:00