Reality: Birth-control pills have not been shown to decrease fertility; actually, the pill can help protect fertility and may reduce the risk of ovarian cancer by up to 40 percent. Pill users may experience a decrease in the likelihood of endometriosis and tubal diseases, as well as the alleviation of some symptoms of polycystic ovarian syndrome—all of which can lead to infertility. Also, recent studies suggest that in the couple of months right after a woman stops taking the pill she may experience a boost in her fertility; i.e., this is a good time to try. However, the pill does not enable a woman to stockpile eggs for future use.

V Misconception: "Condom use doesn't relate to fertility."

Reality: The use of condoms decreases the risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases, so condoms do protect fertility. Fifteen million new cases of STDs are diagnosed each year in the U.S. Many more STDs—which often show no symptoms—go undiagnosed and untreated, making it even more likely they will lead to fertility problems.

Women have it worse than men: STDs are transmitted more easily to women and they cause more damage to the female's delicate reproductive system. In women, STDs can cause pelvic inflammatory disease (PID—a common cause of infertility) and tubal disease (which is implicated in about 20 percent of infertility cases), scarring ducts and tissues and increasing the risk of ectopic pregnancies and miscarriages.

VI Misconception: "A big, strong guy is usually more fertile."

Reality: Physical size and strength do not correlate to sperm count. A "male factor" is involved in as many as 50 percent of infertility cases—odds which justify the brief embarrassment of producing the sperm sample. (Fertility clinics have private rooms with pornographic media for this purpose, and many clinics allow patients to tote a sperm sample from home as long as it can be brought in promptly.)

The process is certainly more pleasant than much of the prodding and pricking female patients must tolerate. "I think every couple having trouble conceiving should undergo a semen analysis, certainly prior to performing any invasive procedures on the wife," says Dr. Copperman.