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Video Text Alternative: Meet Our Researchers: How does infertility differ for women over 35?

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Meet Our Researchers: How infertility differs for women over 35

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Dr. Susan Taymans and Dr. Stuart Moss on camera. Dr. Susan Taymans: When we hear the term “infertile,” I think most people think it means that they can’t conceive. And it doesn’t mean that.
Dr. Taymans on camera. Dr. Taymans: It means they haven’t during a time frame that you would think that they would statistically have been able to.

So it’s not an all or nothing. It’s more of a statistical probability. And one thing I want to add to the definition is that recently the American Society for Reproductive Medicine shortened the time span of unprotected intercourse for the definition of infertility for women over 35.

So for women over 35, if you have unprotected sex for 6 months without a conception, then you’re considered infertile. And that’s helpful to these women because it gives them access to the medical care that they need to treat their infertility in a much faster time frame.
Dr. Taymans and Dr. Moss on camera. Dr. Taymans: Because right around age 35, a woman’s fertility starts to decline very steeply. Every year after that, it’s less and less likely that she’s going to be able to get pregnant naturally.
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