If you watch much television, you’ll realize that infertility is a commonly-used script device.  It’s especially handy on soap operas or dramas because it adds another dimension to a character and/or couple.  However, it’s rarely portrayed in a real light.

Below, we’ve taken a look at TV infertility versus Real Life infertility.  The differences are quite obvious.

• TV Infertility:  The woman is typically the infertile one.
• Real Infertility:  In real world cases, about a third of infertility cases are because the female is infertile, a third is because the male is infertile and a third are caused by other specific reasons.

• TV Infertility:  When it suits writers, infertility can suddenly “right” itself.
• Real Infertility:  As most people who have experienced infertility realize, infertility doesn’t usually reverse itself.  It’s just not that easy.

• TV Infertility:  Characters with infertility either treat it casually or super-dramatically.
• Real Infertility:  In everyday life, people deal with infertility in a number of ways.  Though some are at the extremes, most are in the middle — they have good days and bad days.

• TV Infertility:  A true “diagnosis” is never discussed.  It’s as if the infertility is a mystery.
• Real Infertility:  Although infertility sometimes is a mystery to physicians, there are many ways to pinpoint the causes of infertility. 

We’d like to hear your experiences on this topic.  What have you noticed (pro or con) about the treatment of infertility on TV versus what happens in real life?

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