According to most celiac experts, there is a definite link between celiac and infertility problems for some people. If you ask a fertility doctor about it, you’re likely to be told that isn’t the case. The person you’re speaking to might not even be familiar with the condition and all the ways it can manifest itself. In this country, most fertility clinics do not test their patients for celiac disease. Fertility treatments cost thousands of dollars, and most couples have several treatments. One might conclude that it is not in the best interest of fertility clinics to test their patients for celiac disease, which is treated only with a diet. But in fairness to fertility “experts”, it should be noted that most of them were never educated about celiac in medical school. Doctors can’t find something they are not looking for, of course.
Though there is no guarantee that following a gluten-free diet will result in a pregnancy, some people report having difficulty getting pregnant before they find out they have celiac. Some of them also report that following the gluten-free diet faithfully allowed them to get pregnant, so it can and does happen. This is not to suggest you – or anyone you know who is having problems getting pregnant – start the gluten-free diet in hopes of getting pregnant. It is to say that celiac is certainly something to rule out when speaking of unexplained infertility.
There are many reasons for infertility, including untreated celiac disease. Even so, very few fertility doctors are educated about celiac and even fewer fertility clinics routinely test their patients for celiac disease. Is this shocking? Absolutely. The more you find out about celiac disease and gluten intolerance, the more you’ll find out that U.S. doctors are years behind many other countries on this issue. Celiac specialists are aware of the most up to date information on these conditions here, but the average U.S. doctor does not know much, if anything, about celiac or gluten intolerance.
Both men and women can be affected regarding infertility and celiac. Therefore, it only takes one partner to have celiac and not know it, to have a problem with fertility. For that reason, It’s a good idea to test both parties when looking for celiac as a culprit in unexplained fertility issues.
Dr. Stefano Guandalini, M.D. of The University of Chicago Celiac Center wrote a very interesting article about this topic that is worth reading if you or someone you know is interested in this issue. Studies indicate that on average 6% of women who have unexplained fertility might have celiac which might keep them from getting pregnant. The National Foundation for Celiac Awareness has other interesting facts posted about this issue.
In his book Celiac Disease: A Hidden Epidemic, Dr. Peter Green of the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University, explains that patients with unexplained infertility issues in many parts of Europe and South America are routinely tested for celiac disease. Dr. Green goes on to say that it’s an exception when patients with this problem in the U.S. are screened for celiac. It’s almost unimaginable that something as simple and inexpensive (compared to fertility treatments) as the gluten-free diet might be the simple answer for some struggling couples to be able to have a child. How truly tragic is that?
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Dr. Osborne,
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It was wonderful to read an article that is detailing my current experiences as it has felt so isolating. My partner and I have been trying to concieve for over two years with 6 pregnancies all ending in miscarriage and an ectopic pregnancy. This eventually lead us to the world of IVF and many months of trying this approach, with the same outcome; AGAIN. We have finally been referred to a recurrent miscarriage clinic and we where told that AutoImmune Disease is a very common cause of recurrent miscarriage. We have undergone further tests which have revealed that my (already diagnosed almost 2 years previous) being a celiac is the most likely cause of our fertility issues. I am so angry that we have not been told this a long time ago. We could have saved ourselves a great deal of pain and heartache if we had been aware that my body still needed time to recover from the years of malnutritian from being undiagnosed with celiacs disease for so long. I hope that many more people are made aware of this awful problem that has such a simple solution.
Rachel – I’m so sorry you had to go through that. It’s so sad that many people are in the same boat with you. The last estimate about how many fertility clinics in the US routinely test couples for celiac was less then 10%. It’s really a national shame.