Changes in the work world for women have led to more economic independence and postponed marriage and childbirth.
Many couples have waited until both the husband and wife have established careers and they can afford to start a family.
But the stress and anxiety of making a living in a competitive economic climate, even with two incomes, have taken their toll both on men's sperm counts and on the delicate balance of women's reproductive hormones.
Many infertile couples want to control their reproductive lives just as they do their business lives.
With two incomes, these couples usually have the money and motivation to seek the top fertility experts.
Women executives, for example, are more likely than other women to plan their pregnancies carefully For these high achievers and technology believers, it is especially frustrating when a pregnancy doesn't happen on schedule.
Those who thought they could overcome any obstacle in life keenly feel the disappointment of infertility.
Back in the 1940s, 1950s, and even the 1960s, newlyweds normally took a brief year to start a family It was unusual for the wife to work.
Today, it's not unusual for wives to earn more than their husbands, or for couples to wait ten years or more before trying to have a child.
By postponing a family and having two incomes, these couples have found that they can achieve their high material aspirations.
Today's middle-class woman is used to having control over her life.
So if something goes wrong and she can't have a child, she may face a profound sense of guilt and failure along with anger or depression.
But most biological problems that cause infertility are not within her control.
And the treatment of infertility adds stresses of its own.
Many couples have waited until both the husband and wife have established careers and they can afford to start a family.
But the stress and anxiety of making a living in a competitive economic climate, even with two incomes, have taken their toll both on men's sperm counts and on the delicate balance of women's reproductive hormones.
Many infertile couples want to control their reproductive lives just as they do their business lives.
With two incomes, these couples usually have the money and motivation to seek the top fertility experts.
Women executives, for example, are more likely than other women to plan their pregnancies carefully For these high achievers and technology believers, it is especially frustrating when a pregnancy doesn't happen on schedule.
Those who thought they could overcome any obstacle in life keenly feel the disappointment of infertility.
Back in the 1940s, 1950s, and even the 1960s, newlyweds normally took a brief year to start a family It was unusual for the wife to work.
Today, it's not unusual for wives to earn more than their husbands, or for couples to wait ten years or more before trying to have a child.
By postponing a family and having two incomes, these couples have found that they can achieve their high material aspirations.
Today's middle-class woman is used to having control over her life.
So if something goes wrong and she can't have a child, she may face a profound sense of guilt and failure along with anger or depression.
But most biological problems that cause infertility are not within her control.
And the treatment of infertility adds stresses of its own.