In Good Health: Experiencing And Treating Infertility : 1A : NPR

Embryologist Ric Ross pulls out vials of human embryos from a liquid Nitrogen storage container at the La Jolla IVF Clinic in La Jolla, California. Sandy Huffaker/Getty Images hide caption

Embryologist Ric Ross pulls out vials of human embryos from a liquid Nitrogen storage container at the La Jolla IVF Clinic in La Jolla, California.

One in six people across the globe experiences infertility, according to a report the World Health Organization published this month.

Infertility is defined as the inability to achieve pregnancy, by both men and women, after 12 months of trying. Going through fertility treatment can be a long, hard process and very costly.

Becky Jacobsen wrote to us:

100 years ago, I'd likely never have been able to get pregnant. I have nothing but empathy for people who experience infertility. Even though my case was fairly easily remedied, it was so hard to go through. 10 years of my life were focused on pretty much only trying to get — and stay — pregnant.

For the first discussion in our new series "In Good Health," we talk about what it's like to experience infertility and seek treatment for it.

Reproductive Endocrinologists and Infertility Specialists Dr. Asima Ahmad and Dr. Ginny Ryan join us for the conversation. Dr. Ahmad is also the Co-founder and Chief Medical Officer at Carrot Fertility. That's a company that helps employers set up fertility benefits.

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