Across the country there is a different set of events taking place.  Desperate to conceive, New Zealanders are doing everything they can to fight the battle of infertility.  Ashamed, feeling inadequate and often blaming themselves for their inability to procreate, they try everything from surgery to artificial insemination or assisted reproductive technology.

And they're not alone. Infertility affects one of every five couples in New Zealand, with about one third of these cases relating to female factors, one third due to the male factor and the remaining causes a mix between both genders. In men, infertility is often caused by the low production of sperm, or the sperms' inability to reach the egg and successfully fertilize it.  Some men are born having these difficulties while others develop them later in life possibly due to an illness or injury.

In women it's very similar.  Infertility is often caused by there being too few eggs or none at all available to be fertilized.  A common indicator that a woman is not ovulating normally is irregular or absent menstrual cycles. Endometriosis is another leading cause as well as blocked fallopian tubes.

Men and women who are suffering from infertility often question their feelings, or experience anger and depression at what may feel is a complete loss of personal power and control. Understanding each other and avoiding the destructive path of miscommunication is critical in order for couples to support one another throughout their journey.

Exploring the various options currently available to New Zealanders and possibly correcting the problem is quite costly, as well as exceptionally time consuming. For instance, what is known as IVF, a treatment where women are given fertility injections to stimulate the ovaries to adequately produce more eggs can cost in upwards of $10,000 - however the success rate is quite high, typically around 50 percent with continuous improvement.

Still, with a desire to explore the adventure of parenthood, it is often more than justified by the newfound hope, the re-kindled dream and the simple chance at experiencing what so many of us take for granted each year... The privilege and incredible miracle of creating life.

Written by Rachel Goodchild

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