Infertility is a disease of the mind and body

Jessica Hepburn

Author and fertility campaigner, pictured above swimming the English Channel

IVF is undoubtedly a miracle of modern science. Pioneered in this country some 40 years ago, it has created over six million babies worldwide. But, the worst part of treatment is not what’s being done to your body – the drugs, the injections, the operating table – it’s what’s going on in your head.

The World Health Organization classifies infertility as a ‘disease’ of the reproductive system defined by failure to achieve pregnancy after 12 months of trying. IVF has become the ubiquitous treatment for that disease.

I want infertility reclassified as a disease of the mind as well as the body. Nor should it be seen as a condition that is the prevail of heterosexual couples, as it is increasingly affecting same sex couples and single people who are turning to medical intervention to achieve their dreams of a family.

IVF isn’t a magic bullet

IVF doesn’t work every time for everyone. In fact, according to HFEA statistics, on average, roughly only a quarter of all cycles work. This means that many people find themselves on the fertility rollercoaster for years and it is likely to be one of the biggest struggles of their life.

Feelings of inadequacy and shame that you cannot do what everyone else finds so easy to do are common in both women and men.

I urge anyone going through IVF to make sure they get help – whether that’s in the form of counselling and complementary therapies or social media communities, support groups and events.

Social isolation from family, friends and colleagues who have achieved parenthood status can make you feel extremely lonely. It puts intense pressure on your relationship and decimates your self-esteem.

Perhaps the hardest thing is not knowing how your fertility story is going to end; living life in limbo wondering if you’ll ever be pregnant. The mental health impact of all of this is nothing short of devastating.

Get some emotional support

That’s why I always say that the worst part of treatment is not what’s being done to your body – the drugs, the injections, the operating table – it’s what’s going on in your head.

I urge anyone going through IVF to make sure they get help – whether that’s in the form of counselling and complementary therapies or social media communities, support groups and events.

I also want all fertility clinics to make sure they prioritise patient psychosocial care alongside clinical treatment. These things might not influence the outcome of IVF, but they will make people more equipped to face whatever is ahead.

From pond to peak to raise awareness of fertility struggles

I went through eleven rounds of unsuccessful IVF and lost a decade of my life to ‘Project Baby’. I then started writing about it and set up an arts festival that explores the emotional and societal aspects of the science of making babies.

I have also been taking on some of the world’s most iconic physical and mental endurance challenges to raise awareness of the toll that fertility problems have on your mind as well as your body.

I’ve swum the English Channel, run the London Marathon and next year will attempt to climb Mount Everest. If I get to the summit, I will become the first ever woman to achieve the ‘Pond to Peak Challenge’.

Not bad for a middle-aged woman who is terrible at sport, hates the cold and didn’t know what a crampon was a few years ago. But, hey, I went through eleven gruelling rounds of IVF and it was very good training.