Health Challenges

Navigating Fertility Challenges & Treatments

Facing the Challenges of Fertility Issues

You’ve dedicated yourself to advancing in your career. You’ve conquered various professional challenges, negotiated tough deals, and proven yourself in competitive environments–and now, you’re seeing the fruits of your hard work.

Yet, alongside these professional achievements, you’re also confronting a significant personal challenge: fertility issues and the complexities of treatment.

You’ve got physical discomfort from treatments. Your energy levels are unpredictable. Your emotions swing from hope to despair and back again. Your mind is preoccupied with medical appointments and the uncertainty of the journey.

Tired business woman navigating fertility challenges
Woman organizing her tasks at work

The Many Side-effects of Fertility Treatments

Working women undergoing fertility treatments commonly report the following work-related difficulties:

  • Physical discomfort from hormonal treatments causing fatigue, bloating, and other side effects that make it hard to focus on work tasks. (CDC, 2022)
  • Emotional strain from the uncertainty and emotional rollercoaster of the fertility journey, leading to stress, anger, guilt, depression, grief, anxiety, withdrawal, decreased self-esteem, and financial insecurity, which can affect interactions and decision-making at work. (Klock, 2011)
  • Time constraints due to frequent medical appointments and recovery periods, disrupting work schedules and reducing productivity. (ASRM, 2022)

Most women and individuals assigned female at birth experience a range of physical, mental, and emotional symptoms during their fertility treatments. These symptoms can vary widely in intensity and effect from person to person, yet they present common challenges for nearly everyone navigating this journey.

If you find yourself struggling with these and other aspects of fertility challenges, know that many others share similar experiences.

1 in 6

The proportion of Canadians who experience infertility1

20%

The proportion of married women of reproductive age unable to conceive after a year of trying.2

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References

  1. Canadian Fertility and Andrology Society – Canadian Infertility Awareness Week CFAS
  2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). “Infertility FAQs.” (2022). CDC
  3. World Health Organization (WHO). “Infertility: Facts and Figures.” (2021). WHO
  4. Segal TR, Giudice LC. Before the beginning: environmental exposures and reproductive and obstetrical outcomes. Fertility and Sterility 2019;112(4):613-21.
  5. Collins ME. The Impact of Infertility on Daily Occupations and Roles. J Reprod Infertil. 2019 Jan-Mar;20(1):24-34. PMID: 30859079; PMCID: PMC6386796. Collins
  6. Klock SC. Psychological issues related to infertility [Internet]. UK: Global Library of Women’s Medicine; 2011. Klock
  7. American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM). “Reproductive and Infertility Care in Times of Public Health Crises.” (2022). ASRM
  8. Harvard Business Review – “Employers, It’s Time to Talk About Infertility” (2020). HBR
  9. Steyn, F., Sizer, A., Pericleous-Smith, A. “Fertility in the workplace: The emotional, physical and psychological impact of infertility in the workplace.” Human Reproduction,
  10. Segal TR, Giudice LC. Before the beginning: environmental exposures and reproductive and obstetrical outcomes. Fertility and Sterility 2019;112(4):613-21.

Disclaimer: This one-pager offers a summary of key topics in women's health, supported by research data and sources. It is intended for general informational purposes only and does not replace detailed academic studies. For more comprehensive and detailed insights, please refer to the original research cited.