Reproductive Medicine Associates Of New Jersey Releases Inaugural "Infertility In America 2015" Report
New survey finds consumers are uninformed about IVF, Millennials don't have a plan for families later in life and employers are losing talent due to lack of benefits
BASKING RIDGE, N.J., April 16, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Reproductive Medicine Associates of New Jersey ("RMANJ"), a world-renowned leader in the field of infertility, today released its inaugural report: Infertility in America 2015, to coincide with National Infertility Awareness Week taking place from April 19-25. The report examines the awareness and trends regarding infertility and assisted reproductive technology (ART) across the U.S. In addition, it explores Millennials' views on family planning as well as the growing impact infertility has on the workplace.
"We see it in the news and here at RMANJ every day – Americans are starting families later and the definition of family is evolving," said Dr. Michael R. Drews, MD, FACOG, medical director and a founding partner of RMANJ.
"We've been able to unveil social issues and trends that will impact our field and society as a whole," said Dr. Richard Scott, MD, FACOG, ALD/HCLD, laboratory director and a founding partner at RMANJ. "We are committed to pushing the science forward to ensure our current and future patients struggling with infertility have access to the safest treatment options and technologies that improve outcomes and reduce their time in care."
One key finding from the survey revealed that Americans may likely be overconfident in their ability to have children when they are ready. In fact, 95 percent of those who expect to try to have children in the next five years are confident in their ability to do so when the time is right. In reality, a healthy, fertile, 30-year-old woman only has a 20 percent chance of conceiving naturally each month, a fact that often goes overlooked.
As for the awareness around the science of in vitro fertilization (IVF), the survey found that misconceptions still prevail, especially around the need to use (transfer) more than one embryo to improve your chances of conceiving. While this may have been true in the past, an overwhelming 87 percent of survey respondents believed this to still be true today. This number climbed even further with individuals actively trying to get pregnant (94 percent) and those expecting to try within five years (90 percent).
The reality is that by using a process that encompasses Comprehensive Chromosome Screening (CCS) and Single Embryo Transfer (SET), patients are able to achieve delivery rates equivalent to implanting multiple embryos, while reducing the risk associated with multiple deliveries and lowering the total cost of care.
While we all know that challenges associated with infertility can be extremely stressful, the report found that they are on par with some of the most highly ranked societal pressures. In fact, the Infertility in America 2015 survey discovered that 55 percent of individuals who have experienced infertility believe it is more stressful than unemployment, and 61 percent of that same group believe it is more stressful than divorce.
Infertility isn't an issue that only impacts individuals: it is making its way into the workplace. As the need for fertility treatments continues to increase, up 65 percent since 2003, businesses need to pay closer attention to the benefits packages they offer. Americans take fertility coverage seriously – 68 percent of respondents said they would be willing to change jobs to one that offers fertility coverage if they needed to. These numbers increase dramatically – to 90 percent – among those who have experienced fertility issues.
"This survey explores issues associated with infertility that need to be addressed," said Barbara Collura, President/CEO of RESOLVE. "RMANJ's Infertility in America 2015 survey takes a step at understanding where we need to focus our efforts to better equip everyone with the necessary information as they begin to make important decisions about their family planning. Patients need to know they are not alone in their struggle."
The survey was conducted among 1,000 nationally representative U.S. adults ages 25-40, plus oversamples of up to 200 men or women actively trying to get pregnant or expecting to try within the next five years, between February 12 and February 23, 2015, using an email invitation and an online survey. Quotas were set to ensure reliable and accurate representation of U.S. adults ages 25-40.
In addition to the report, RMANJ has published an infographic depicting the survey results.
ABOUT REPRODUCTIVE MEDICINE ASSOCIATES OF NEW JERSEY
The fertility experts at RMANJ consistently achieve delivery rates 20 percent higher than the national average (www.sart.org). Since 1999, they have helped bring more than 30,000 babies to loving families. In addition to serving as the Division of Reproductive Endocrinology at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Brunswick, NJ (www.reifellowship.com), the practice has seven locations in New Jersey; Basking Ridge, Eatontown, Englewood, Morristown, Somerset, Summit, and West Orange. RMANJ also is part of the national network of RMA practices in Pennsylvania, New York, Texas, Connecticut, and Michigan.
RMANJ pioneered and successfully implemented a cutting-edge technology known as Comprehensive Chromosome Screening (CCS) to more accurately detect healthy embryos that have led to successful pregnancies and ultimately healthy babies. Comprehensive Chromosome Screening (SelectCCS) is owned and operated by the Foundation for the Assessment and Enhancement of Embryonic Competence (www.faeec.org), and offers advanced embryo selection with extreme accuracy by detecting and avoiding use of embryos with chromosomal abnormalities prior to transfer and pregnancy.
For more information please call RMANJ at 973-656-2089, or visit www.rmanj.com.
SOURCE Reproductive Medicine Associates of New Jersey
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