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Several couples find themselves seeking infertility treatments because they have not been able to conceive within a reasonable amount of time on their own, generally considered to be a year or more of unprotected sex. Infertility treatments have become more progressive over past years, and have resulted in successful outcomes for couples whose desire is to have children. At times it may take more than one attempt in several cases, which in turn can run into tens of thousands of dollars for some couples, if insurance coverage is not available. Few states across the country require health insurance carriers to cover infertility treatments, thus leaving couples who wish to have a baby having to bear the entire expense. For such as in vitro fertilization (IVF) or gamete intra-fallopian transfer (GIFT), this could be as much as $8'10,000 each attempt. Several couples even take out second mortgages on their homes to afford the funds to pay for infertility treatments.

As soon as couples first decide to consult a professional for infertility treatment, there are many questions that they want answers to right away; as in the first answer they want to know is who has the problem. These concerns generally can be dealt with quite easily with a few simple tests. For instance women may just have a hormone imbalance that affects her chances of getting pregnant, which can easily be checked and treated. As for the male partner the first thing that can be checked is the sperm assay, to make sure that enough are being produced. In case the sperm count is low the chances of the sperm penetrating the egg is decreased. Both partners may require further evaluation if nothing is found with the initial testing, at which time the couple will probably be referred to an infertility specialist. Treatment for infertility does not have to involve complex technical procedures, and in a lot of cases can be resolved with hormone treatments and/or surgery.

If couples do ensue with more extensive infertility treatment, they should take the time to research the infertility clinic, the reproductive endocrinologists on staff, that clinic's success rates for various procedures and how much they cost, what insurance plans they accept, and what services are included and not included for the quoted cost. Generally infertility treatments are based on the couple completion of one cycle from beginning to end, but obviously can vary depending on each individual case. A lot of couples find success with infertility treatments, and though results are not always guaranteed, it is an alternative that is available. N o matter what it takes and at any cost, infertility treatments are the answer to many couples' dreams, to have a child of their own.