Infertility Information
Becoming a parent and sharing your life with a child is perhaps the most joyful and rewarding thing in life. However becoming pregnant can be difficult for some and if you have been having regular (2 to 3 times a week) unprotected intercourse for over a year without conceiving you may begin to wonder if you are infertile. Over 7 million people in the United States alone are affected by infertility, and the rate of infertility appears to be rising.
Infertility problems can lie with the woman or the man or a combination of both. Female problems account for about 40% of all infertility, male 40% of infertility, and combination or unexplained about 20%.
Endometriosis is a major cause of infertility in women and is where the uterine lining (which sheds with your monthly period) grows outside the uterus on the ovaries, fallopian tubes or the lining of the pelvic cavity. Abnormal tissue or blockages can be removed by surgery.
Ovulation problems can have a significant impact on you getting pregnant. They are frequently hormonal and can prevent the release of the mature egg from the ovary. Stress, being overweight, being underweight, diet, too much or too little exercise are all factors which can lead to hormonal imbalances. Ovulation stimulating drugs are effective in treating this.
Eggs that become damaged cannot sustain a pregnancy. This is usually age related with egg quality and the ability to conceive decreasing over time. It is common knowledge that women’s fertility falls rapidly every year from age 30 onwards. Women are half as fertile at 35 as they were at 25; at 40 they are half as fertile as at 35.
Women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) where the ovaries contain many small cysts have hormonal imbalances and do not ovulate regularly. This inability to ovulate, or ovulating irregularly, is another major cause of infertility. Treatment is by ovulation stimulating drugs.
If the fallopian tubes are blocked, the eggs cannot get to the uterus and the sperm cannot get to the egg. Common causes include pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), sexually transmitted diseases like chlamydia or gonorrhea, or previous sterilization procedure. Pregnancy can often be achieved following treatment.
Men too have their share of infertility problems including blocked tubes and low sperm counts. Obstructions in the tubes that transport the sperm are the most common cause of male tube blockage. Sexually transmitted diseases like gonorrhea and Chlamydia may also be linked to blockage problems. Surgery is used to treat this.
Low sperm counts can be helped by fertility drugs. Also, less than 10% of infertile men and women, have an immune reaction to sperm, causing them to produce antibodies that kill the sperm cells. Various treatments such as sperm washing and intrauterine insemination can help.
When both the man and woman have fertility problems, or if one partner has more than one fertility problem, this is described as combination infertility. Once all causes of infertility have been identified, appropriate treatments can be implemented.
Unexplained infertility is the term used by doctors when they can’t find a cause for infertility following a full series of tests. Some experts consider that smoking, alcohol consumption, substance abuse, sexually transmitted diseases, weight problems and stress are all factors which can contribute to infertility.
Many people suffer from infertility, so if you suspect you may be infertile, you are not alone. Medical science is advancing all the time, and approximately two thirds of couples who are treated for infertility, go on to conceive.
