Every year, The Bookseller holds a contest awarding the Diagram Prize for the Oddest Book Title of the Year. This year's list of 49 books include titles like 100 Girls on Cheap Paper, Briefs for the Reading Room, How YOU Are Like Shampoo: For Job Seekers, and I'm Not Hanging Noodles on Your Ears.
You have to admit -- those titles are odd.
But wait a minute, what's this? Also included on this year's list is a book titled Budgeting for Infertility.
What's odd about that title? How did a book title that, to me, seems clear and necessary end up on a list that includes Mickey Mouse, Hitler and Nazi Germany?
I suspect that the title appears there because most people do not realize that infertility is something that involves serious financial strain. Perhaps the list writers thought the title was funny because if you're infertile, then you don't have any children, so why do you need to budget for that?
However, unless you plan to do nothing about your infertility, you do need to budget for it. Before you even consider treatment, you need to consider the cost for fertility testing and visits to a reproductive endocrinologist - exams that are not commonly covered by insurance.
If you intend to seek treatment, you may need to pay for medications, fertility procedures, ultrasound testing (often several per treatment cycles), and blood work.
Some think that only IVF treatment is expensive, but in fact, any fertility treatment can be expensive. Even if you "only" take Clomid, you may need to pay out of pocket for the initial fertility testing, the Clomid itself, and any ultrasound or blood work required to follow your treatment.
The financial burden of infertility is so big that some banks offer special loans, some states and organizations offer (a limited number of) grants, and it's sadly not uncommon for a couple to spend every penny of their retirement fund on fertility treatment. Tens of thousands of dollars in debt can add up quickly if you're trying IVF, especially if you require the help of an egg donor or surrogate. Adoption is also very expensive.
To be clear, I'm not saying I can't take a joke on infertility related subjects. In fact, I've blogged in the past about a blog that does an excellent job of making many people laugh about infertility.
But I fail to see how a book titled Budgeting for Infertility is odd or funny. I just don't get it.
What are your thoughts? Please share in the comments below. I'd love to hear from you!
I agree with your entire summation and probably could not have worded it any better!! This book should NOT be on this list. It seemed pretty obvious to me as well, but i guess there are people out there ignorant on the subject.
I think people are so clueless about the impact that infertility has: emotional, financial, physical. It is a very lonely and very often devastating process that couples go through and any resource available is a huge help. Books, support groups, web boards where you can get encouragement and share your stories with others dealing with the same issues makes a dramatic difference. I applaud Evelina W. Sterling and Angie Best-Boss for their efforts on helping couples deal with infertility issues. Great book!!!!!
Thanks so much Rachel for mentioning our book and your concern about it making the “Oddest Title” list. We share your concerns and it certainly highlights the need for greater education about the exorbitant costs of infertility treatment.
there are many alternatives to expensive fertility treatments and we’ve had great success in using alternative methods through chinese medicine and acupuncture.
Being infertile is a major emotional turmoil but there are solution to that. What’s wrong with having budgeting for infertility? Having a child makes a person whole and complete.