Does stress cause infertility or is it the other way round? The emotional impacts of IVF treatment are featured in this episode with Dr. Julia Woodward, interviewed by Dr. Vickie Schafer. Dr. Woodward is an Associate Professor and Clinical Psychologist who has directed the Patient Support Program at the Duke Fertility Center for over 15 years. In this episode, she discusses just how common depression and anxiety are among fertility patients, the factors that drive patients to minimize their struggles to the fertility team, the most common time points for stress to spike, the lack of evidence for stress as a cause of infertility, and five key coping strategies patients can use to combat stress.

Find the #StartwithSART Fertility Experts series wherever you get your podcasts. Looking for advice on building a family? Ask the experts and #StartwithSART.

For more information about the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology, visit our website at https://www.sart.org

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