# Parents magazine on secondary infertility (US)



## its the hope that hurts (Mar 19, 2014)

http://www.parents.com/pregnancy/considering-baby/another/cant-get-pregnant-again/

"Indeed, one of the best-kept secrets of the fertility industry is that nearly a quarter of couples seeking treatment are already parents. Some of these patients had trouble conceiving the first time, so they know what they're up against when they try again. But many others, like my husband and me, have been stunned to learn that, "in fertility, past success is no guarantee of future success," as Michael DiMattina, M.D., director of Dominion Fertility and Endocrinology, in Arlington, Virginia, puts it.

Yet, according to Dr. DiMattina, people suffering secondary infertility are only half as likely to seek treatment as those facing primary infertility. Partly, Dr. DiMattina says, this reluctance stems from emotional denial. "Previously fertile people tend to think, If I just give up coffee or reduce my stress, it will happen." Though such measures undoubtedly enhance general health, he says, "they won't cure infertility." To complicate matters, busy ob-gyns often assume there's no medical reason when patients who have previously demonstrated their fertility take an unusually long time to conceive. Unfortunately, such a wait-and-see approach can allow an untreated problem to become an untreatable one."



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