Reply to What is the 5% chance at 42 based on?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote]I kind of agree with that, but then, if it can't be done, why are they selling me painful treatments that cost tens of thousands of dollars?[/quote]
I agree with you -- I think that doctors shouldn't do that, to be honest.  But then you have patients who, like the OP, are saying "why are you giving me these stats, what are they based on, I don't believe it because of [extenuating circumstance]."

I'm not picking on the OP at all, by the way. She is hardly alone in these feelings. And how many times have we seen posts here from someone who said that they were able to cure their fertility problems with supplements and acupuncture and Eastern medicine and whatever? Everyone wants to believe they're going to be the one who beats the odds. And someone always *does* beat the odds, otherwise the chances of conception after 40 would be zero, and we know that's not true. (Look at the person who posted just before me, as an example.)

I do feel for doctors -- as much as I can feel sorry for a group of gazillionaires -- that they have to walk this line between offering reasonable medical treatment, and yet not offering false hope.. I think it just has to be our job to decide when we're going to walk away, and we can't rely on doctors all the time to tell us when that is. But that's hard when you hear about 45 year olds conceiving, or 42 year olds who conceived in three months, or people who conceived on their 10th IVF, or some story like that.[/quote]

I think there is a difference between treatment (where IVF can indeed help) and age. I am not sure IVF helps AMAs any more than consistent, timed intercourse. Of course, if your tubes are blocked, then it will help. But I think it's a mistake to do IVF for "unexplained infertility" if you are over 40.

That said, I will do IVF. Not because I think it will help me over and above timed intercourse, but because I am not sure I will be strong enough not to try it 3 years down the road when it will cost much more per chance of success.[/quote]

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