While I was dealing with infertility, I felt frustrated at how elusive pregnancy was for me. I was angry thinking back to health class and the terror that was instilled in us about unplanned pregnancies. I wish that infertility statistics would also have been included, to round out everything else we had learned. But then again, I wonder if this is a recent trend with prolonging parenthood into later life with my generation? In my state, largely in part to education, our teen pregnancy rates are down. Would this also mean that our infertility rates are up? Hmmm.

Googling "infertility prevention" I found the following link.

The program is called Region III Infertility Prevention Project. Region III includes Philadelphia, Delaware, Baltimore, Maryland, and Washington DC. The program aims to reduce infertility by helping to detect sexually transmitted diseases that are linked to infertility early after the infection has occured. The focus infections are chlamydia and gonorrhea.

The process of one of their early detection programs is unique in that it offers anonymous testing through the internet. By going to www.iwantthekit.org; both women and men can request a testing kit for chlamydia if they live within certain areas of Region III.

Statistics for chlamydia and infertility according to the site are:

40 percent of women with untreated chlamydia infections develop Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID). One in five women with PID becomes infertile because of the damage PID does to the reproductive organs.

To request a free test, participants either call or email. A testing kit will be sent to their specified address along with instructions on how to complete the test at home. After administering the test, the sample swab is sent in and processed. After one week, participants can call in to get their results. If they are infected they are then referred to a local clinic for treatment. The sample is also tested for gonorrhea and trichomoniasis.