By: Patricia Mendell, L.C.S.W., Member AFA Mental Health Advisory Council

By: Patricia Mendell, L.C.S.W., Member AFA Mental Health Advisory Council

There are many myths about fertility.  Almost everyone knows someone who wasn’t getting pregnant but then did and is convinced it was due to the actions that they took.  So what should one believe?

Myth One: Just relax and you will get pregnant!  Although most medical research points to the fact that stress in general is not good for your body, there is no clear cut evidence that stress prevents pregnancy.  What most people do not know is that a healthy woman who is 30 years old and trying to conceive will have a 20% chance each month of conceiving while a healthy woman who is 40 years old will have only a 5-10% chance of conceiving each month.  Age and health are the key factors in a woman’s ability to conceive.  As many of my patients experiencing fertility issues have said to me, “If I had a dime for every time I went on vacation to reduce my stress and relax to get pregnant, I would have money for fertility treatments and maybe even the down payment on my house.” Although the rigors of long-distance running or military training are stressful enough to reduce fertility by preventing ovulation, infertile women with regular menses and normal ovulation should be reassured that stress is probably not what is causing their difficulty conceiving.

Myth Two: The majority of the fertility problems are related to women!  The reality is that the causes are almost equally distributed across male and female lines.  The facts are that 35-40% of all fertility issues are male and 35-40% of all fertility issues are female. Too often, when a man is told that his sperm is “good enough” for the couple to undergo in vitro fertilization, the man hears that his sperm is not the problem and assumes that if they do not get pregnant his partner is to blame. The woman will also assume that it is her fault even though the sperm may have needed help from a skilled embryologist to fertilize her eggs. Many times even if the problem is due to the sperm, the female partner must undergo fertility treatments for the couple to become pregnant. If a man has low sperm count (total sperm count), poor motility (how the sperm move) or poor morphology (a large percentage of misshaped sperm), then this will affect the ability of the sperm to fertilize the egg. It is often important for a couple to realize that whatever the fertility issue is, they must work as a supportive team if they are going to create a child together.

Myth Three: Using birth control pills will preserve your fertility.  Regardless of whether you use birth control or not, a woman’s egg reserves will continue to decline each month of her life.  Though birth control is considered 99% effective in preventing unwanted pregnancies, it will not protect a woman from STDs which can hurt her fertility. The most surprising piece of information, often not known by many women who use birth control pills, is that the use of antibiotics while taking the pill will lower the effectiveness of the birth control by as much as 30%.

Myth Four: All condoms are effective in preventing unwanted pregnancies and the transmission of STDs. The truth is that all condoms are not created equal.  While they all help prevent pregnancy when used correctly, they do not all prevent STDs.  The most effective condom for that is made of latex, but there are a growing group of people who are allergic to latex and, in recent years, other materials have been used to make condoms that do not cause these problems.  There is also a third type of condom, the oldest, known as natural or lamb skin.  While these will work for unintended pregnancies, they cannot stop STDs from spreading. Several studies clearly show that condom breakage rates in this country are less than 2 percent. Most of the breakage is likely due to incorrect usage rather than poor condom quality. Using oil based lubricants can weaken latex, causing the condom to break. In addition, condoms can be weakened by exposure to heat or sunlight or by age, or they can be torn by teeth or fingernails. Statistics are from the fact sheet “The Truth about Latex Condoms,” developed by the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the U.S. (SIECUS).

Myth Five: A previous pregnancy is an indication of a woman’s or man’s fertility.  While producing a child does indicate that one was fertile at one point in their lives, it does not guarantee that they will be fertile in subsequent attempts to become pregnant.  In fact, the largest group of infertile people is made up of those who are suffering from secondary infertility. Secondary infertility is the inability to conceive a child or carry a pregnancy to term after conceiving and delivering one or more children. This group is usually older and has a higher possibility of medical and/or sexually transmitted diseases, which causes a decline.

Myth Six:  A woman who practices a healthy lifestyle through a good diet with moderate exercise will be able to conceive into her forties.  Unfortunately, though a healthy lifestyle and genetics do play some role in a woman’s ability to conceive, it is her age that plays the biggest factor in her life. Yes, it is important that a woman does not drink alcohol excessively or smoke cigarettes, because that will also decrease her chances in becoming pregnant.  Nevertheless, by the time a woman is age 45 she will have less than a 5% chance of conceiving and over a 70% chance of miscarrying even if she does conceive with her own eggs.  The truth is that age cannot fool fertility.

Myth Seven: A man’s age will not affect his partner’s chances of becoming pregnant and carrying a baby to term.  Although men believe this to be true, the reality is that studies have begun to increasingly show that men over forty are at an increased risk for producing children with more chromosomal abnormalities which can cause a higher rate of miscarriage for their partner.  While many of the studies are yet to be totally conclusive, it appears that autism and schizophrenia are also increased in children fathered by men over 40.

Myth Eight: A woman in good health who conceives at age 45 with a donated egg from a 25 year old will have the same chance of miscarrying as a woman at age 45 who conceives with her own eggs.  The rate of miscarriage for a 45 year old woman using a donor egg is according to the age of the egg and not the age of the woman carrying that egg.  While a 45 year old woman will have a 60-70% chance of pregnancy loss with her own eggs, a 45 year old woman using a 25 year old donor egg will have a 15% chance of loss due to the age of the egg that she is carrying.

Myth Nine: All fertility related problems can be diagnosed. While there is treatment for many fertility problems faced by both men and women, 20% of these couples will be given a diagnosis of “unexplained infertility.”  Although this does not mean that a couple will not be able to conceive, it does make it frustrating for both the couple and the physician treating the couple.  Often treatments may be suggested that the doctor hopes will help despite being unsure of what the real problem is. Even when a treatment works for the couple with unexplained infertility, the problem will still remain a mystery.  For a number of these couples it will never be clear as to why they were unable to conceive. If they have struggled over a number of years with this unexplained label they may find it hard to accept that now age is also part of the factor for them.

Myth Ten:  If you try to adopt, or do adopt a child, you will then become pregnant.  Everyone knows someone who has adopted and then subsequently gotten pregnant.  The implication is that if you stop wanting it so badly you will then reduce your stress and it will “just happen.” Although the exact number of mothers who become pregnant after adopting is not known, many studies indicate that it is somewhere between 3-10%.  Since 15-20% of infertile couples have “unexplained infertility” as their diagnosis, it seems likely that some of these couples will be the ones that become pregnant. A couple should not embark on the journey of adoption as the cure for their infertility.  Adopting is the solution to being childless, but not to one’s infertility.

For more information visit ivfnj.com or theafa.org.

IVF New Jersey is one of the largest fertility centers in the state with convenient locations in Hamilton, Somerset, Freehold, and Annandale.  Dr. Melissa Yih may be contacted 365 days a year at 800.IVF.NJ44 or visit the IVF NJ web site at ivfnj.com.

Cynthia Matossian, MD FACS

Modern cataract surgery almost always involves implantation of a permanent vision-restoring artificial lens implant.

For many years the goal of cataract surgery was to simply restore blurred vision caused by the cataract. Having to wear glasses was inevitable following cataract surgery. Implant lens design has greatly advanced in recent times. Today, with new technology implants, also called presbyopia correcting implants, cataract treatment has moved beyond just restoring vision loss. Today’s lens implants offer the ability to reduce dependency on glasses for everyday visual tasks such as reading, working on a computer or playing golf.

This means that when planning to undergo cataract surgery, patients now have a choice. The lens implant options need to be discussed in detail and mutually agreed to between the ophthalmologist and the patient. Not every patient is a candidate for every implant.  This decision must be made before surgery, since once implanted, replacement of the lens implant can be risky and is not advisable.

There are two types of presbyopia-correcting implants. The first is called an accommodating lens implant. This unique design uses the eye muscles to flex and shift the lens inside the eye and help focus on objects at distance, mid-range (computer distance) and up-close for reading. The second type, called multifocal implant, splits light to focus at near, intermediate, and far distances at the same time.

If you have astigmatism and cataracts, astigmatism must be corrected at the time of cataract surgery to decrease dependence on glasses and ensure the best possible quality of vision. The most accurate and effective way of correcting astigmatism is with astigmatism-correcting lens implants (referred to as toric implants), which are now available in several powers, depending on the amount of existing astigmatism.

Whatever type of implant you select, you can expect cataract surgery to greatly improve your quality of vision, and in some cases, even eliminate your need for glasses. Ask your cataract surgeon about the type of implant that is right for your eyes.

Mercer County Ophthalmologist Named “Top Doctor”!

If you are looking for the best eye care in the state, look no further than Mercer County. Castle Connolly, a national consumer research firm, recently named Dr. Cynthia Matossian one of New Jersey’s Top Doctors. Dr. Matossian has been practicing ophthalmology for over 20 years in Mercer County.  Her selection as a Top Doctor is based on an intensive process of
peer nomination, research, and review by the physician-led team at Castle Connolly.  Dr. Matossian’s specialization in cataract with implant surgery and the positive feedback received from her patients were considered in the review process.  The Castle Connolly team also evaluated Dr. Matossian’s education and training at Pennsylvania State University and George Washington University and medical staff affiliation at Capital Health and Doylestown Hospital.

For information about Matossian Eye Associates visit www.matossianeye.com

Dr. Sharon Gertzman

For many years there have been various methods of skin tightening available that have shown little to no results. Common brand names are Thermage, Affirm, and Titan. While the technology has always intrigued me, the process is known to be quite painful, expensive and result in little to no visible improvement in as much as 70% of the patients treated. I have always thought that this was a procedure that, once perfected, would be phenomenal. Finally, a company has perfected it!The procedure is called Pelleve and uses a constant delivery of radiofrequency energy to the deeper layers of the skin to denature the collagen fibers. This turns the tissue into an almost gelatinous substance that is then chilled, causing instant contraction! The tissues then stay contracted! The best analogy is that of cooking the protein of an egg white. The egg has changed from a gelatinous raw egg, into the firm white of a cooked egg. The egg does not then become “uncooked” after it cools!

The skin temperature is closely monitored during the procedure such that the appropriate temperature for collagen denaturization is achieved. This target temperature is below the threshold for pain, so this procedure feels like a warm massaging of the skin!

This is one of the major difference between this procedure and the older methods of skin tightening. Previously a set dose of radio energy was delivered resulting in either not enough heating, therefore no tightening, or too much heating, therefore visible retractions in the skin.  Adding to the benefits of this remarkable procedure: the results are visible immediately, there is no necessary recovery time, patients can go back to normal activity and their daily skin care regimen immediately.

Though results will be seen immediately with one treatment, it is recommended to do a series of three treatments, at intervals of 4 weeks. This allows for the first treatment to “take up the slack” in the skin, then achieving the maximum tightness in the subsequent treatments. After that initial series, touch ups are done at 15 to 20 month intervals.

As always, at Serenity Medical Spa, we encourage you to come in for a free consultation so that Dr. Gertzman can listen to your concerns and recommend what procedures will help you best achieve your goals. Please contact us at www.SerenityNJ.com or (609) 737-7737.

Terri Petry, Publisher

The world’s gone crazy. Our local community isn’t far behind.  Take a look at the Mercer County Woman (MCW ) calendar for September & October. I think every organization in Mercer County is having an event, fundraiser or meeting in September & October!

Thankfully, our 2009 Health & Wellness EXPO is on Friday, Nov. 6th from 9am-3pm (see page 19). However, we are not off the hook because we are either sponsoring or participating in a good many of the events mentioned in this paper throughout September & October.

One of my favorite and most enjoyable fundraisers is the Gourmet Garden evening to be held Thursday, October 6th, 6-9pm hosted by the Zonta Club of Trenton.  Proceeds from this event benefit Crawford House to pay for urgent dental care for Mercer County women and will also benefit other Zonta supported community outreach programs, service projects and scholarships.

Another event that is near and dear to my heart is the Memory Walk. The walk is on Oct. 11 at ETS in Princeton.  My father passed in 2003 of early-onset Alzheimer’s at the young age of 64. My personal experience with watching my loved one disappear and then pass away will be with me forever. I certainly can’t imagine the torment he must have felt and I’m not quite sure that I can describe the daily sorrow my family and I felt as he withdrew into his unknown world.   Alzheimer’s is a disease like no other; it is fatal and it is cruel.   I support the Alzheimer’s Association and wish that you will come support them too.

The last event I will mention in my note is the Hamilton Rotary Club’s Harvest Brunch. I have been a Rotarian for 7 years now.  If you are not familiar with the organization, Rotary International is all about giving.  There are some 33,000+ local clubs with over 1.2 million members.  I belong to the Hamilton Club and each club has numerous fundraisers to raise money for local charities and for charities around the world. The Hamilton Club’s big fundraiser for the year is our Harvest Brunch, which is always the Sunday morning before Election Day in November; Sunday,  Nov. 1st this year. We serve about 1,000 scrumptious breakfasts. The menu includes custom omelets, waffles, Danish, bagel, sausage, eggs, famous cheesy potatoes, OJ & coffee. We also run a spectacular Gift Basket Auction. Come out to Nottingham Ballroom on Mercer St. in Hamilton Square and have breakfast and support a very good cause!!

I’m going to heed my own advice and take it all in stride.  There’s a lot to accomplish, but there’s plenty of time in which to do it. Walk steady, don’t run and enjoy the journey.

Looking forward,

Terri Petry, Mercer County Woman