Social Media :
Episode 79 Transcript

Ep 79 Transcript | Infertility Increase and Media Negative Reputation

Eloise Drane
Hey there. Welcome back to Fertility Cafe. I’m your host Eloise Drane. Welcome to Episode 79 of Fertility Cafe. Today we’re talking about a topic that is very near and dear to my heart and that I get quite passionate about discussing – the increasing rate of infertility in the United States and abroad. One in 10 women between the ages of 25 and 44 struggle with infertility. According to the CDC’s last measure in 2019. Infertility is on the rise and it’s leading to an increased demand for assisted reproductive technology. Unfortunately, many causes of infertility are insidious and seen as relatively harmless such as the birth control pill. The impact of how the public views hormone based contraceptives as safe and fertility as uncommon, and the IVF industry as costly, difficult to understand, and some cases, criminal plays a big role in the ongoing cycle of all of these problems. In this episode, we’ll talk about the shocking increase in infertility and what men and women need to know if they want to have a family. So let’s get started.

Eloise Drane
First, let’s talk about birth control. Invented in 1950, the birth control pills seem like a miracle drug to help women take control of their fertility and reproduction. Over the years, the pill has been used to prevent pregnancy, treat symptoms of severe periods, skip periods, and otherwise manipulate female hormones. But what are the lasting effects of the birth control pill? Here’s where it gets a bit weird. Research says that there are no lasting negative effects of taking birth control pills long term. However, I’ve been in the fertility industry for 21 years and I have worked with countless women who attribute their difficulty getting pregnant with extended birth control use. I’ve also seen it happen with friends and close family members. Of course, these are all antidotal. But what worries me is that what I witness on a daily basis doesn’t match up with the research that’s being put out. This is why it’s important to take everything with a grain of salt because it wouldn’t benefit the pharmaceutical companies to allow information to be out there suggesting that using birth control for more than two to three years is harmful. That’s a quick way to kill their business model. So take in all the information, trust your gut and decide for yourself.

Eloise Drane
Beyond the pill, IUDs are becoming increasingly popular among women and are considered more convenient than the pill because you have it inserted or replaced every few years. And you don’t have to worry about taking a pill every day. IUDs can also alleviate problematic period symptoms or even eliminate periods altogether. However, there is risk of running into the same issue with IUDs as we have seen with birth control pills if you opt for a hormone releasing IUD. If you plan to have children in the future, and are looking for a temporary solution for birth control, talk to your doctor about non hormonal IUDs.

Eloise Drane
Now given that so many women are choosing to take control of their fertility, you would think that when women choose to stop using these methods, they would be able to get pregnant. But that’s not the case. In fact, infertility rates are skyrocketing. As I mentioned at the beginning of the episode, one in 10 women between the ages of 25 and 44 struggle with infertility according to the CDC’s last measures in 2019. And it’s not just women either. Men are also suffering from decreased fertility. In a 2017 meta analysis of 185 studies, researcher Dr. Shayna Swan discovered that sperm count in men have declined over 50% over the course of 50 years. A contributor to the rising infertility rates for both men and women are things called endocrine disruptors. The endocrine system in your body is the system of hormones, hormone producing glands in hormone receptor sites. Altogether. your endocrine system is like a giant switchboard that relays your body’s most important internal communications. Endocrine disruptors affect how your endocrine system functions, and therefore how well it’s able to carry out its communication duties. Preliminary research going on right now is investigating the connection between endocrine disruptors and many fertility affecting conditions such as polycystic ovarian syndrome or PCOS, uterine fibroids and endometriosis.

Eloise Drane
So, what are some examples of endocrine disruptors. Unfortunately, there are many, including in the food we eat. For example, the top four diet related endocrine disruptors include pesticides, heavy metals, dioxins and BPA. Pesticide residue is found on fruits and vegetables. Even if you’re not going to eat the peal, it’s best to wash your produce thoroughly because the peels will still touch other cooking surfaces, such as your cutting board, knives, and so on. Wash your food thoroughly with water, not soap or cleaners, which can add even more endocrine disruptors to the mix. Arsenic, lead and mercury are the most common heavy metals that affect our endocrine systems, with Mercury being the most prevalent, particularly in seafood. Because Mercury is absorbed by algae, which is then eaten by smaller fish, which are then eaten by larger fish, quantities of mercury increase in larger species. Experts recommend avoiding eating larger fish like Shark, barramundi and tuna. Fish can be extremely healthy for you though, so experts recommend eating fish in your diet, but making sure that it comes from smaller species such as salmon, shellfish, shrimp, trout, mackerel, anchovies, and sea bass.

Eloise Drane
Dioxins are environmental pollutants that come from industrial pollutants and volcanoes. They are persistent, which means that they are extremely difficult to get rid of either from the natural environment or from our bodies once we’ve consumed them. Dioxins are most commonly found in fish, meat and dairy. Experts recommend trimming the fat off of your meat where the dioxins are largely stored and eating a variety of protein sources so you’re not consuming too much of one product. Finally, BPA is the fourth most common diet related endocrine disruptor. BPA or bisphenol A is the compound that allows plastic products to be flexible. Experts suggest that BPA can bleed out of plastic products and onto our food and beverages. There are many alternatives, but there’s little research to suggest whether those are safe alternatives. Instead, experts recommend using glass containers although they caution against using glass for heating food in a microwave.

Eloise Drane
Altogether, endocrine disruptors sneak into our daily lives through our diet, accumulate and dramatically affect our reproductive systems and fertility. Stress, drinking, smoking and obesity also contribute to decreased fertility and can be further exasperated by endocrine disrupters, which creates this sort of vicious cycle where the environment impedes the body’s ability to function properly, which impedes the body’s metabolism and fertility, which affects our mental and emotional well being, which affects how we interact with our environment.

Eloise Drane
For men, it’s incredibly important to pay attention to and avoid endocrine disruptors, especially if you are trying to conceive. Men are producing sperm all the time, which is contrary to women who are born with all of their eggs. When a man’s sperm fertilizes an egg, that sperm was created within the last 70 days. Therefore, if you’re trying to conceive, start by cutting out as many of these endocrine disruptors from your body as possible, then try to conceive after the 70 day mark to give yourself the best chances.

Eloise Drane
There are things women can do too. Removing endocrine disruptors as much as possible will help increase fertility for both men and women. Focus on eating whole unprocessed and organic foods. Don’t store or warm your food in plastic containers. Remove scents from your beauty routine, detergents and air refresheners. Minimize how many personal care products and cosmetics you use. Don’t smoke, minimize alcohol use. Avoid all recreational drugs. Get into a healthy weight range. But be sure not to lose too much weight since being too thin or overworking your body can be just as harmful to your fertility as being overweight. And although it’s extremely difficult for everyone, try to reduce your stress as much as possible.

Eloise Drane
Lastly, keep in mind that it’s impossible to eliminate exposure to endocrine disruptors entirely. They’re just too pervasive. They’re everywhere. So try not to obsess about it because that’s only going to cause you more stress. But also be mindful about what products you’re using, what you’re consuming and how you’re taking care of yourself.

Eloise Drane
So with hormone based contraceptives being so widely accepted, endocrine disruptors being so prevalent in our daily lives through diet and environment, and infertility rates skyrocketing, you would think that attitudes toward the fertility industry would be positive. I mean, why wouldn’t people who want children be grateful for this institution that’s helping them reach their goals. But the problem is that there’s a lot of misconception about the fertility industry. With the emergence of Netflix shows like Our Father, and articles in Conservative Woman, more people are becoming aware of the inner workings of the IVF industry, but not in a good way. They’re seeing the dark side of third party reproduction. Granted, I do want people to be aware of the dark side, because it certainly does exist. We even talked about this on an episode earlier this season with Dr. Diane Tober as my guest. However, it’s one thing to be aware of the potential problems within the industry, and an entirely different thing to completely demonize the industry as a whole.

Eloise Drane
The fact is, there are a lot of great good hearted people in the fertility industry, who have good intentions and want the best for their patients and take every precaution to ensure everyone has a positive experience. Of course, those stories don’t make it into the media. And as we see the rates of infertility climbing, it’s more important than ever, that the fertility industry correct any ill affecting practices, and be an advocate for people wanting to have children, as well as those helping these families become whole. Here’s the thing. The fertility industry and medical industries as a whole are treating the aftermath of infertility issues, but they’re not looking for the causes or creating interventions to prevent infertility from being an issue altogether. This is where we need to focus our time and energy. As for the media, rather than creating television dramas, and stirring up controversy via documentaries, it would benefit more people and serve an actual purpose if they looked into the cause of infertility, the plastics, the food, the high stress lifestyles.

Eloise Drane
I absolutely love what I do. I love helping people have the families they’ve been dreaming of. But I also wish there wasn’t a need for it for heterosexual couples who want to conceive naturally. I wish everyone could have children naturally and not have to go through the heartbreak of being told they’re suffering from infertility or compromised fertility. So please take all of this information, talk about it. Be aware of the factors affecting your fertility, question the way things are being done, question anything that’s recommended to you just because it’s the way things have always been done, and push back on anything that doesn’t feel right. Be your own advocate.

Eloise Drane
Thank you so much for listening. If you found this episode helpful, please rate Fertility Cafe on your favorite listening platform and share this episode with anyone you think could benefit from hearing it. Thank you so much for joining me today. Until next time, remember, love has no limits. Neither should parenthood

Share