Infertility
Infertility is of special concern among medical circles. Scholars have also studied this condition, particularly with regards to its emotional and physical ramifications. In this essay, infertility is examined from the angle of available treatments and the responses of patients undergoing treatment. Infertility is a condition or disease of the female or male reproductive system that results in inability to conceive after a whole year of well- timed, unprotected intercourse. It can also refer to the inability of a female to fully carry a pregnancy to the delivery of a live baby (Seli, 2011). Today, infertile couples can legally adopt a child whose parents are unable to care for the baby. However, not all couples are comfortable with this alternative, especially those that wish to raise a child that is related to them biologically.
In such cases, the couple has to undergo medical checkups to diagnose the real source of infertility. To do this, both undergo various preliminary diagnostic procedures and tests to determine whether either conforms to the normally recognizable fertility etiologies. Women are the cause of roughly 30 – 35 percent of these problems among couples. Older women are, particularly, unable to conceive or carry a pregnancy to full term. Another cause of infertility among women is Pelvic Inflammatory Disease, which affects the reproductive tract. It is often linked to a history of sexually transmitted disease. However, it can also be caused by the use of intrauterine devices for contraception, miscarriage, childbirth and surgical abortion. In effect, PID blocks ova within the fallopian tubes.
Among men, infertility can result from not having enough or any sperm, a semen deficiency, low sperm motility, poor sperm quality, epididymis or a blocked vas deferens.

Solutions to Infertility
There are a number of solutions to infertility today. The most common solution available for men is to get operated, especially in the case of blocked tube. However, if this solution does not work, fertility drugs may be taken to boost sperm production. Doctors can also take the man’s sperm and use it to artificially inseminate the partner. Other available options include intracytoplasmic sperm injection (where the sperm is directly injected into the egg) or the use of donor sperm. Some parents may also choose to use fertility drugs while others may opt to adopt a child. Others also go with the use of sperm donors, the use of surrogate mothers among other solutions. In the following paragraphs, these common solutions are examined in a deeper manner (Glenville, 2000).
In the recent past, there has been an increase in the number of couples using these drugs and getting children. Some couples report an increase in fertility, which often results in a rapid expansion in the number of children they get. However, the benefits and effectiveness of these drugs is often overshadowed by their numerous and harmful side effects (Conkling, 1999).
Assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) refer to several variations of IVF tailored to match the individual couple’s unique conditions. In IVF, the woman takes a fertility drug (usually Bromocriptine or Clomiphene) to stimulate the ovaries too develop more mature eggs for fertilization. The blood hormone levels are monitored by the doctor to check when the eggs are mature. Then, the eggs are removed and fertilized using the partner’s sperm in a laboratory dish. When the eggs turn into embryo, they are reinserted into the woman’s uterus. Fertility drugs also promote ovulation by stimulating the hormones in the woman’s brain to get several eggs ready and release them from the ovaries every month. Most of these drugs have been used successfully and safely for over 30 years now.
Conclusion
In the modern world, infertile couples have found a number of solutions to their inability to bear children. The most common solutions include adoption and fertility drugs. However, the use of fertility drugs has a number of ethical and social implications. It shows that the couple is interested in getting children who are related to them genetically. On the other hand, these drugs may also come with severe physical side effects. Others are also ineffective. Additionally, as a result of the cost of most fertility drugs, only middle and upper class parents are typically able to go with this option. Still, unlike vitro fertilization, these drugs are unlikely to increase the chances of multiple births beyond five to fifteen percent. Commonly used fertility drugs include Bromocriptine, Human Menopausal Gonadotrophin and Clomiphene.
Infertile parents who choose to adopt a child may also have to deal with the numerous social stigmas associated with the practice. The social stigma mostly comes from the families, friends and acquaintances of the adoptive parents. For instance, the families may be against this solution. Similarly, adopted children may end up being stigmatized in the future. As a result, most parents tend to choose not to tell the children that they were, in fact, adopted. Many couples are prevented from choosing this option over fertility drugs due to social stigma (Haugen & Box, 2006). Overall, fertility drugs may be the way to go for most couples, despite the myriad of social and physical costs attached to them.

References
Conkling, W. (1999). Getting pregnant naturally. New York: Avon Books.
Glenville, M. (2000). Natural solutions to infertility. London: Piatkus.
Haugen, D., & Box, M. (2006). Adoption. Detroit, MI: Greenhaven Press/Thomson Gale.
Seli, E. (2011). Infertility. Chichester, West Sussex: Wiley-Blackwell.