TryGOLD- Free

We Need to Talk About Secondary Infertility
Cosmopolitan US|Summer 2024
With reproductive medicine under political attack, this long-overdue conversation is more necessary than ever.
- CHRISTEN A. JOHNSON
We Need to Talk About Secondary Infertility

 

Danielle always thought she'd have her ideal number of kids-three, to be exact-by the time she turned 35. But as it does, life happened, and she and her husband didn't welcome their first child until Danielle was 36. That was more than two years ago.

For the past eight months, the couple has been actively working on having a second baby. Danielle had an ectopic pregnancy (when a fertilized egg implants anywhere other than the uterus, often in a fallopian tube) last October. "That and the fact that we've been trying for more than six months means our doctors are now advising IVF," she says. She always knew that getting older could affect her chances, but still: They'd conceived their first baby naturally; this felt like a surprise.

"People assume that since they've been pregnant before, it's going to be easy again," says reproductive endocrinologist Amanda Adeleye, MD, founding partner and medical director of CCRM Fertility Chicago. "That's not necessarily the case. Secondary infertility can happen to anyone."

And it does. While almost all of us are aware of infertility as a concept (it may impact up to 15 percent of couples, according to the National Institutes of Health), many have never even heard the phrase "secondary infertility" even though it affects some 11 percent of hetero partners trying for more kids.

What Is This Really About?

The simplest way to think of secondary infertility is as an umbrella term. Rather than a hard-and-fast diagnosis, it's more of a category for a collection of separate (but sometimes linked) causes that prevent someone from conceiving (after trying for six months to a year) or carrying a pregnancy to term after already having given birth at least once without fertility treatments.

This story is from the Summer 2024 edition of Cosmopolitan US.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the Summer 2024 edition of Cosmopolitan US.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM COSMOPOLITAN USView All
Forever and Always
Cosmopolitan US

Forever and Always

Real ones know that before everything else, Rihanna was a Cosmo girl.

time-read
1 min  |
Spring 2025
State of Gracie
Cosmopolitan US

State of Gracie

Pop star Gracie Abrams has built a millions-strong fandom on songs about heartbreak. But she's a real sucker for Valentine's Day.

time-read
8 mins  |
Spring 2025
DATING ACROSS THE LINES
Cosmopolitan US

DATING ACROSS THE LINES

There's no question that we're living-and looking for love-in contentious times, where extreme political ideologies have all but divided parts of the dating pool. Or have they? Vera Papisova investigates.

time-read
10+ mins  |
Spring 2025
Serena Page & Kordell Beckham Exit the Villa
Cosmopolitan US

Serena Page & Kordell Beckham Exit the Villa

They won big on Love Island USA. Now the reality stars turned America's unofficial first couple are talking fame and fashion.

time-read
4 mins  |
Spring 2025
Olivie Blake Doesn't Mind if You Know Her Secret
Cosmopolitan US

Olivie Blake Doesn't Mind if You Know Her Secret

The author of the viral Atlas series is stepping away from the fantasy genre with her next book, Gifted & Talented. For our new column The Scroll, she shares an exclusive excerpt and reveals what it's really like to write a bestseller.

time-read
2 mins  |
Spring 2025
Post-Birth Control Syndrome Is Real
Cosmopolitan US

Post-Birth Control Syndrome Is Real

Millions struggle with symptoms after going off the pill. Why is it so hard for them to find answers?

time-read
3 mins  |
Spring 2025
The Sweet Life of Mack and Brenda
Cosmopolitan US

The Sweet Life of Mack and Brenda

The very private couple is finally ready to hard-launch.

time-read
10 mins  |
Spring 2025
The Stars on Your Favorite Stars
Cosmopolitan US

The Stars on Your Favorite Stars

In every issue, astrologers break down the cosmic compatibility of celebrity couples. Are they meant to be...or will they have broken up by the time this story comes out?

time-read
3 mins  |
Spring 2025
There Are Many Ways to Polyamory
Cosmopolitan US

There Are Many Ways to Polyamory

Your guide to understanding it all.

time-read
3 mins  |
Spring 2025
Everybody Loves Kiernan Shipka
Cosmopolitan US

Everybody Loves Kiernan Shipka

The 25-year-old actor has been laserfocused on her career since her days as a child star on Mad Men--but now, after releasing five whole movies this year (!), she's ready for something else.

time-read
1 min  |
Spring 2025

We use cookies to provide and improve our services. By using our site, you consent to cookies. Learn more