Ignorance is more dangerous than "half-knowledge" for infertile couples

Many infertile women spend a lot of time on the net , doing research in order to find out more about IVF. They are willing to invest their energy in learning more about IVF, because they want to maximize their chances of having a baby. Many of them are frustrated by IVF doctors who refuse to talk to them, or explain what is happening, and they wart to regain control of their life.

However , rather than admiring their persistence and their desire to learn more , a lot of husbands and family members can be quite critical their online activities. They often say cruel statements, such as “ Don't try to become a doctor” or “half knowledge is dangerous “.

This is completely wrong ! These women are highly motivated , and want to learn more about IVF, so that they can become better informed about their IVF treatment . We should encourage them in their quest for information , so that they have realistic expectations of the treatment , and can have an intelligent discussion with their IVF doctor.

There are many IVF treatment options available today, and patients are often confused. Doing their research will allow them to formulate their own course of action and select the best IVF clinic , so they have peace of mind they did their best.

Good IVF doctors respect patients who are well informed and who are clear about their goals. These patients don’t get upset if the cycle fails, and are much better able to cope with the IVF emotional roller coaster ride. Good IVF clinics will create educational resources, to help patients learn more, so they can form a partnrship with their doctor.

It’s true that these patients can be quite demanding . They have lots of questions , and are not willing to just passively accept what the doctor says as being gospel truth . They are willing to push back ; to be assertive; and to explore alternatives and options .

In fact, some of the smart ones will often know even more about a particular topic that the doctor does. ! This is why some IVF doctors feel threatened by these patients. They will often try to assert their authority and put these upstart patients in their place by being rude or using medical jargon.

Yes, it’s true that not all websites are reliable and that there’s a lot of junk online. However, this does not mean that patients should not explore the internet at all. Just because there are a few bad sites does not mean they should not take advantage of the wealth of reliable information available on the good websites !

It's far better to have a little knowledge , rather than know nothing at all. If you are completely clueless, it’s easy for a bad IVF doctor to take you for a ride ! And once you have been cheated by a bad doctor, you will never be willing to trust another doctor again.

While it’s true that you don’t need to learn how to do IVF yourself, it’s also equally true that you need to learn to become an expert patient if you want to maximize your chances of success !