Should Adoption Be Seen As A Treatment for Infertility?

Not exactly, but it is certainly an option for infertile couples or individuals who wish to become parents. Treatment implies that a procedure is being used to improve fertility or to help the patient get pregnant. Perhaps a better way to describe adoption as it relates to infertility is as a potential solution to the individual’s or couple’s desire to have a child. While the child may not be biologically related to them, it gives them the opportunity to raise a child and even provide a home for a child who may not have one. What’s more, some individuals struggling with fertility may be incapable of producing a child that is biologically related to them for a number of reasons.

There is no shame in wishing to have a child that is biologically linked to you. Some feel guilty paying hundreds or thousands of dollars to undergo fertility procedures to help them get pregnant knowing that there are children who need loving homes. But it is an individual’s or couple’s choice to make, and theirs alone. With some input from a fertility specialist, of course, who will consult with them so they understand their chances of becoming pregnant with in vitro fertilization and other procedures, and whether they are able to become pregnant at all.

If you’re trying to get pregnant but have been unable to do so for several months or even years, see a fertility specialist to determine the cause of the infertility. For some, making lifestyle adjustments may be recommended to improve fertility. Others may take fertility medications to stimulate egg production. Some are encouraged to explore certain procedures like artificial insemination, IVF, or other assisted reproductive technologies. Included in that list of options is adoption, which some specialists may recommend to couples for whom getting pregnant is extremely difficult or who are unable to reproduce because of an underlying medical condition.

Still, some couples who struggle to become pregnant or who are in their forties decide that adopting a child is the best option for them. Not only does it allow them the chance to be parents and raise a child, it helps a child find a loving home with parents who have his or her best interests at heart. Discuss the matter in greater detail with a fertility specialist, and make the decision for yourself based on your prognosis and what feels right for you and your partner.