DALLAS — One in five women struggle with infertility, according to the CDC. It could be your daughter, niece, a friend or, maybe, it’s you.
When Daybreak Anchor Kara Sewell announced her pregnancy in October, she also revealed she conceived through In Vitro Fertilization, or IVF. It can be a physically, emotionally, and financially draining experience that thousands of couples are experiencing right now.
But, as people reveal their struggle to start a family, more companies are offering fertility benefits to attract and retain employees.
We spoke to a specialist with Conceive Fertility Center in Dallas who says knowledge and support can better prepare you or your loved one for the journey ahead.
"We must factor family planning. Not just birth control pills, but also when do you want to procreate into all our goals," said Dr. Tiffanny Jones, a board-certified Reproductive Endocrinologist and Infertility Specialist.
Her goal is to help couples and individuals achieve parenthood.
"Patients must know that they’re in it for the long haul and that’s sometimes very hard as we’re trying to be very optimistic about treatment but also realistic at the same time," said Dr. Jones.
1. Some employers offer fertility benefits that could lower costs
The International Foundation of Employee Benefits survey found 40% of organizations in the U.S. offer some kind of fertility benefits, an increase from 30% in 2020:
- 16% cover genetic testing to determine infertility issues
- 28% of companies cover fertility medications
- 30% cover IVF treatments
There are 19 states that have infertility insurance laws in place. Texas only requires insurers to offer infertility coverage to employers, but your employer chooses whether to include it in a benefits package.
"I wish we lived in a world where cost did not affect treatment and what people decided to do," said Dr. Jones. "If this were cancer, no one would pick a 20% success rate over an 80% success rate. But when you factor in cost for fertility treatments, I find that is where people start and it’s reasonable because some things can be very expensive."
Daybreak Anchor Kara Sewell checked with multiple fertility clinics in North Texas. Without fertility benefits, one round of IVF costs an estimated $18,000-$23,000. That does not include pre-screening tests, and medication dosage can impact those numbers.
"I am so happy that a lot of companies are offering fertility benefits and that there are companies now that are specifically geared toward fertility insurance like Proyny and Carrot," said Dr. Jones.
Dr. Jones says she doesn’t handle insurance but believes it’s her responsibility to be knowledgeable.
"At our clinic, we do have financial counselors that try to walk patients through [the insurance process]. When you have a lifetime maximum, you might not understand that if you use it for the medications, it will drain that and then you have very little for treatment. So you must be very strategic in how you apply that," said Dr. Jones.
There are dozens of companies in North Texas that offer fertility benefits. If you’re looking at jobs, ask about their coverage.
And potentially bring down medication costs by shopping around because pharmacy prices vary.
Pharmaceutical companies also offer rebates, so be sure to search for those
2. IVF effectiveness
IVF is about 60-70% effective in the best of circumstances. That number increases if patients undergo multiple cycles.
"Most people should prepare for 2 transfer cycles in an IVF cycle and 3-4 IUI cycles, if that’s the route that you’re going. And if you don’t have success after three, there are studies showing immediately moving onto IVF shortens time and cost," said Dr. Jones.
It's a complicated process that requires a physician and team you trust.
"I try to prepare my patients for the battle this is. It’s a journey and a battle and if you go into battle without the right armor than you’re not going to leave unscathed," said Dr. Jones.
3. Fertility support groups
Dr. Jones encourages patients to find a support group to help you feel less isolated.
Resolve.org has variety of groups, and Kara Sewell joined one for women in North Texas on Facebook before starting IVF.
4. Fertility treatments facts & myths
A recent Pew Research Center survey found about 42% of adults have either used fertility treatments or personally know someone who has. That’s up nearly 10% from five years ago.
Dr. Jones said if you want a family one day, there are three things women can do right now that can offer insight into your fertility.
"An ultrasound is very important because an ultrasound tells us about the womb or uterus. It can tell us about fallopian tubes - if they’re enlarged and that would be a problem. And then also, we can get a count of those follicles that have the eggs. The follicles are what generate the AMH," said Dr. Jones.
That’s why Dr. Jones also recommends the AMH or Anti-Mullerian Hormone test, which corresponds to a woman’s egg count.
And the Follicle Stimulating Hormone test (FSH) helps manage the menstrual cycle and can indicate egg quality.
Dr. Jones says the biological clock is real.
"When people start their families later in life, in their 30’s and early 40’s, it can become harder because of diminished ovarian reserve," she said. "So, the pool of those eggs is lower but also, the quality of eggs is older because we’re born with them."
Dr. Jones says she hears a lot of myths surrounding fertility treatments.
"What I would love to debunk for patients is that there’s nothing that you can do, short of not taking your medications on time, that’s going to derail your IVF cycle."
Another myth: If you decide to undergo fertility treatments, you’re pushing yourself into menopause faster.
"If you think about an IVF cycle, we tend to get multiple eggs at a time and most of us feel that we lose one egg a month, but that’s not true. We may lose 20-30 eggs a month and that’s natural," said Dr. Jones. "So, what IVF does is rescue eggs that we would have otherwise lost. So, we don’t lose more eggs than we would have in a natural cycle by doing IVF or even a Clomid cycle where you’re ovulating more eggs than you would typically without medication.