It's not like it is on the Telly!

I'm having a bit of a rage. After having had a reasonably ok day where I only swore at 3 people with kids (on the Telly, don't worry) I am now back creeping back into the pit of anger. Every time infertility is shown on fictional television it is always shown as a dramatic thing. Jane in Eastenders couldn't have children because she was shot in her uterus, Diane in Hollyoaks stole a child after her IVF failed, and do I even have to mention the most famous film about infertility: The Hand that Rocked the Cradle. The reality is a lot different, 1 in 6 couples experience difficulty conceiving - yes, couples, not women. BUT difficult in conception of a child isn't Infertility, it's where it takes more than 24 months. Can you imagine a soap running a story for that long, no, because it doesn't fit with soap time lines. I understand that, but I also expect that they show some realism in their portrayal. Last months Eastenders had Tosh (in a same sex relationship with Tina) do artificial insemination at home from a sperm donor: even medicated AI only has around 10% success rate first time. Commonly called the "turkey baster method" by people who don't know any better, and shock horror she got pregnant! Yes, she did miscarry, but it was ok, she had a vodka and went back to work the same day. Grace in Hollyoaks had been shot in one ovary and had "an infection" in the other meaning she could only get pregnant with IVF. Strangely enough she didn't have to go through months of tests, scans, sperm analysis, then waiting for the right cycle dates. No, she had a consultation and started injections the same day. They did make a brief mention of eggs having to be collected, but no signs of her struggling to cope with ovaries the size of grapefruits, no side effects from the drugs other than a few mood swings. After EC (which was barely even mentioned, including the fact that its a medical procedure) she went back to work and two days later was out with her friends on an all nighter. After my EC I could hardly leave the house and was just plain ill. Sadly she had a miscarriage a week or so later. Again, like Tina, she went to the loo, found blood, and declared she had suffered a miscarriage. In reality you have to wait at least 7 to 10 days and have an ultrasound scan, or blood tests, to confirm it. You have to suffer the physical pain that is losing a baby. I know I can't expect fictional TV or Films to accurately represent the pain of infertility or miscarriage because I don't think anyone can really accurately present it unless they have been through it, and everyone experiences it differently. However, a little bit of respect would be nice. A bit of a nod to the invasive nature of the treatment. A mention that there is a lot of anxious waiting involved. Not presenting all women having treatment as being able to carry on with normal life. Staying away from infertile women snatching babies. I'm not asking for special treatment, just a more realistic impression of something that affects so many people that there won't be anyone in this world who won't have at least one loved one affected by it.