by Daniel McConchie

About the author: Daniel McConchie is operations coordinator and director of development for the Center for Bioethics and Human Dignity, an educational organization that works to bring a Christian perspective to contemporary issues in bioethics.

The inability to have a child is a true burden. Would-be parents often ask both God and themselves why their innate desire to have children continues to be unfulfilled. This kind of self-examination reflects how deeply emotional and traumatic infertility can be. Sometimes a couple may even keep the situation secretive to avoid embarrassing themselves in front of family and/or friends.

Sadly, this response only serves to heighten the pain that many couples experiencing infertility feel. Fifteen percent of couples in the United States cannot have children after one year of sexual relations. As a result, clinics specializing in aiding...