SAN ANTONIO – The coronavirus is sending couples trying to conceive into an emotional rollercoaster as In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) procedures were put on hold.
Natasha Kay, 45, said the clinic’s call last month was agonizing.
“They’re like, ‘We have to close on your cycle indefinitely,’ and of course, I was crushed because being that I’m 40, time is precious,” she said.
Kay is not alone. Her doctor, Erika Munch with Texas Fertility Center- San Antonio said for some older couples, waiting could impact their chances. Every patient is different, but infertility treatments are time sensitive.
“Patients that are older, patients that have diminished ovarian reserve or low egg accounts, they can absolutely be impacted by delaying treatment to fertility treatments,” she said.
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Munch says one in about eight couples suffer infertility issues.
“It’s important for us to remember that infertility is a disease, that it’s a time sensitive disease that requires just as much of our medical attention as anything else," Munch said.
TFC will begin procedures again next week. Munch said steps are being taken to prevent the spread of the virus.
But she said as procedures get going, there’s a lot of questions about how the virus could impact pregnancies.
“We're advising patients with the best information that we have right now,” she said. “The limited studies that are out there suggest that there is not an increased risk of women who are pregnant to contract or catch the disease.”
Kay said she’s finding strength and encouragement from other women who are also waiting for their turn to become mothers.
“I have sisters in arms that are also going through the same thing,” Kay said. “It’s comforting in that regard that you’re not alone.”
Virus disrupts pregnancy plans, raises anxiety and questions