The pain of infertility can be especially hard on people of faith because some religious traditions object to a number of medical procedures used to overcome it.
For Catholics, whose church raises the widest array of concerns, it can be especially daunting, said Eileen Kummant, a family practice physician in White Oak who helps Catholics treat infertility without violating church teaching.
Even the most faithful, who often seek her practice because of her values, are tempted to ignore moral concerns when their own efforts to conceive have failed, she said.
“A lot of people are really hurting when they have infertility problems. Sometimes they just don’t want to think about anything that might say they can’t do whatever is necessary to have a baby — especially when it seems that other people have no problem with it,” she said.
“It seems like a hope that they are told they can’t have.”
She will be one of the presenters Saturday at an infertility workshop sponsored by the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh. It will address spiritual, moral, relational and medical aspects of infertility.
A very needful service to those who suffer the pain of infertility. It’s a great blessing to be here in Pittsburgh, where so much of this work goes on.