New campaign busts these common fertility myths

A fantastic campaign.

When it comes to fertility, the information can sometimes feel overwhelming. There's so much information out there but often times it can be conflicting. So what is the right information? Sims IVF has launched a new campaign to tackle common misconceptions about fertility. The ‘Fertility Myth Busters’ campaign will run from May 12 to 26 and aims to raise awareness of common ‘fertility myths’ that can cause concern and worry for patients.

Some of the most common fertility myths include:

Myth 1: The contraceptive pill can cause infertility Fact checker: There’s been much research as to whether the contraceptive pill causes infertility and the overwhelming scientific conclusion is that it doesn’t have any long-term effect on fertility. However, it can take some time for the menstrual cycle to return to normal after coming off the pill so some women may experience a temporary delay in conception. Myth 2: Age only affects female fertility, not males Fact checker: The effects of age on female fertility have been well documented but there has been much less conversation around the effects of the ageing process on male fertility. It is possible for a man to father a child at any age; however, the likelihood of successful conception does decline as men age. Studies have shown sperm concentration and the proportion of sperm of normal morphology decline after the age of 40 making it more difficult to conceive. Myth 3: You will not get pregnant if you are stressed Fact checker: There is no hard scientific evidence to suggest stress impairs fertility. However, some studies have found that the activities we can engage in when stressed can reduce fertility, for example, drinking, smoking and unhealthy eating habits. Speaking about the new campaign Karen Ferguson, Fertility Nurse Manager at Sims IVF said:

“At Sims IVF we are passionate about empowering people through trustworthy fertility education. Unfortunately, there is still a stigma around fertility which means often people do not talk openly about their experience and are afraid to ask, “Is this true?”. So, it is no surprise that there is so much misinformation out there. We hope that the Fertility Myth Busters campaign can help to set the record straight on a range of areas relating to fertility testing, treatment, and conception.’’

For further information about the Fertility Myth Busters campaign, please visit Sims IVF’s Instagram page: @sims_ivf. For more tips and information from Karen and the Sims IVF nursing team, follow @thefertilitycompass on Instagram.