Dr. Jaime Knopman Talks About The Rise of Infertility

Jaime M. Knopman, M.D., is a board-certified reproductive endocrinologist with years of experience in IVF treatment, IUI treatment, PCOS treatment, gestational surrogacy, and many other areas. She serves as the Director of Fertility Preservation for CCRM Fertility of New York. She understands that entering the world of fertility treatment can be confusing and frightening. To help address these concerns, she and Dr. Talebian co-founded East Meets West Fertility, a website designed to help patients navigate the complexities of fertility treatment and reproductive health. By providing an honest and no-nonsense platform to female health, they embolden women to make informed and confident decisions about their personal lifestyles. We are excited to have her share her knowledge below.

What drew you to pursue reproductive endocrinology, and how would you describe your specialized approach?

I always knew I wanted to be a doctor! Ever since the 2^nd grade when I read a book about Elizabeth Blackwell I knew that was my calling. I took a year off between undergraduate and medical school, worked in the breast center at MSK and decided I wanted to go into women’s health. After completing my OB/GYN rotation in medical school I was confident that a career in OB/GYN was for me. I thought the hormonal pathways were so eloquent. I remember when I applied for fellowship my essay compared fertility hormones and their beautiful coordination to a symphony. The hypothalamus is the conductor and the instruments are the pituitary, the ovaries, the uterus. I was totally sold! While I am a reproductive endocrinologist and infertility specialist, my career has really morphed over the past 5 years (hence the impetus for the book I'm writing). We no longer simply take care of women or couples suffering from infertility but rather help those preserve their fertility. For example today I saw 6 patients for egg freezing and 1 couple struggling with infertility. I think my role is to be a patient’s partner on their reproductive journey. I am here to guide them make the best decision for their current and future fertility. I have a no nonsense approach to medicine. I am very real with my patients and function in a more “friend” or “older sister” way. I never have nor never will wear a white coat!

Today, approximately 12% of women 15 to 44 years of age have reported ever having received any infertility services (evaluation and/or treatment). What do you attribute the rise of infertility to?

I think you are probably not only capturing infertility patients but also couples and women who are preserving their fertility. Many couples come in to just “check their fertility.” They want to ensure nothing is off before trying! But I think the real reason the numbers have risen is age! We are trying to get pregnant later and later and our ovaries just can’t keep up with our brains, our professional careers and our timeline!

To what extent have groups like CCRM advanced the "standard of care" when it comes to the diagnosis and treatment of infertility, and how has this affected outcomes?

I would not say that we nor anyone really has had a significant impact on the diagnostics but we have changed the game in terms of treatment. We have improved the lab culture conditions dramatically in IVF and therefore embryos can grow and divide in more hospitable environments. This helps us with embryo selection and has reduced the number of embryos we need to transfer to have success. CCRM also changed the game for embryo biopsy! We do not do biopsy embryos on day 3 anymore but rather blastocysts on day 5, 6 or 7. This increases accuracy of results, decreased negative impact to embryos and increases implantation rate! Lastly, CCMR genetics has changed how embryos are analyzed and our data is so much better!

What advancements or research within the fertility landscape are you most excited about?

GENETICS!!! I cannot wait until we can offer women who suffer from infertility, especially early decline in egg quantity and quality a test to look for the genetic markers. This would allow us to know who needs to freeze eggs super early.

At The Lanby, we value hospitality as a key factor in optimizing health outcomes. In what way do you apply the tenets of hospitality to your approach to care?

I am all in it with my patients all the time! I really see myself as their partner in this process. I am super accessible and want my patients to know they can count on me to guide them on their journey!

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