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Fertility in the Media

By Kelly Burgess

It was a good idea that was poorly executed. The canceled NBC drama Inconceivable was set in an infertility clinic and was to dramatize the struggles of couples who were trying to conceive and the doctors trying to help them. Anyone who has actually struggled with infertility and has been a regular patient at an infertility clinic knows that there are a thousand stories of heartache and joy more than enough for a one-hour weekly drama.

Unfortunately, the producers of this particular show apparently decided that there was no need to bring any element of veracity to their series. Instead, they relied on sensationalist plots that were so over-the-top even those who had most eagerly awaited the show's debut ended up being its most vocal critics. After only two episodes, the show was canceled, but the idea of highlighting the problem of infertility is one that most people still support as long as it's done in a factual, sensitive manner.

Joe Isaacs, president and CEO of RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association, initially welcomed the idea of a show about infertility, but was disappointed in the final product. "This could have been approached more responsibly," he says. "Producers of shows like CSI and Law and Order and ER have consultants working for them to make sure they are realistic and factual. You see the drama, but you also see the value of the jobs these people do. In the case of Inconceivable, they chose to make a soap opera instead of showing the value of what happens in an infertility clinic."

Despite a recent, successful pregnancy, Nancy Yeomans of Chicago, Ill., knows what it means to struggle with infertility. As a result, she watched Inconceivable with a seasoned eye. Yeomans liked some aspects of the show, such as when they showed one couple's failed IVF cycle, but wished it had focused more on real stories like that one.

"It would have been nice if the show had helped to clear up some of the misconceptions many people have about infertility," she says. "For example, many people, even those who have been through it, don't know the difference between IVF and artificial insemination. There also still seems to be a very ingrained belief in people that there is a big mental component to infertility, when in fact it's a physical problem. It's very hurtful to have people tell you to 'just relax' and you'll get pregnant as if the expense and agony you've been going through for years was just all in your mind. Not to even mention the financial devastation of infertility treatments. It would be great if more people understood that reality."

Want to see more?

• Fertility Awareness: What You Should Know and Why You Probably Don't
• It's About Time! Knowing the Best Time to Conceive
• The Right Timing: The Art of Tracking Your Fertility
• Talk about it!