Fertility

Infertility is defined by the International Council on Infertility Information Dissemination (INCID) as a man and a woman who have been unable to conceive after a full year of unprotected intercourse. Infertility is caused by both men and women, and sometimes the problem is a shared one. This article discusses some of the common causes of infertility in both men and women.

Primary fertility is described as when a man and a woman have tried to conceive, but have never achieved a pregnancy together. There are many possible causes of primary infertility including a wide range of physical and emotional factors.

The first is Endometriosis. Endometriosis is a condition where the tissue that lines the uterus, (endometrial tissue,) sheds each month with the period but grows back outside the uterus. Symptoms of this particular condition include painful menstruation, irregular or heavy bleeding and repeated miscarriages. Fortunately, there are surgical solutions for women experiencing endometriosis. Using Leparoscopic surgery you can remove tissue and unblock tubes. After an laparoscopic surgery forty to sixty percent are able to conceive within a year and a half after surgery.

Ovulation problems are also a common condition that results in infertility in women. Endometriosis is a condition where the tissue that lines the uterus, (endometrial tissue,) sheds each month with the period but grows outside the uterus. This is usually due to a hormonal imbalance. There are drugs on the market that help stimulate proper ovulation. Some examples are human chorionic gonadotrophin and Clomiphene. With proper treatment, seventy percent of women are able to achieve ovulation while twenty to sixty percent are able to get pregnant.

Another common problem that affects fertility in women is egg quality. In certain circumstances a woman’s eggs can become damaged in such a way as to not sustain a pregnancy. Usually egg quality problems are due to advanced age because the overall quality of eggs declines as a woman reaches her late thirties and early forties. Unfortunately there are no ways to treat egg deterioration due to aging. Egg donation or surrogacy is a solution that many couples use when running into problems associated with egg quality. Around forty-three percent of women who receive a fertilized egg from a donor are able to become pregnant.

Infertility can be attributed to the man between thirty-five and forty percent of the time. Male tube blockages is one of the most common conditions experienced by men unable to properly fertilize an egg. A tube blockage includes anything that obstructs the vas deferens or epididymuis. The blockage stops sperm from making the journey from the testicles proper delivery. It is possible to use surgery to discover, isolate and repair obstructions. Of those who undergo surgery to repair tube blockages, around forty percent are capable of properly impregnating their partner within twelve months of the surgery.

Another common problem for men experiencing infertility has to do with the sperm itself. If a man has a low sperm count, it could be that fertility drugs are needed to boost the production of sperm. Another option is artificial insemination, where a doctor injects sperm from a donor directly into an egg. Artificial insemination results in about a twenty-five percent success rate.

Less than ten percent of men and women who are infertile have negative reactions to sperm. For couples who are experiencing problems related to sperm allergy, a number of sperm cleaning solutions are available. Intrauterine insemination and assisted conception treatments are two examples of solutions for those experiencing sperm allergy. The rate of success is believed to be anywhere between the twenty and forty percent range, though the numbers are sometimes debated.

Finally, between twenty and thirty-five percent of all fertility problems for both men and women go unexplained. Studies have shown that fifteen to thirty percent of couples that are experiencing fertility problems are able to conceive within five years. For those who are not able to conceive with that five year time period, less than ten percent are able to conceive without some type of medical intervention.

There are a number of reasons that a couple may be experiencing fertility concerns. As discussed above, each major condition associated with fertility problems has either a direct solution or suggested method for overcoming the concern. Hopefully a greater understanding of what causes infertility will help put some couples at ease and realize that they are non alone.

Mary Justice is a retired mid-wife and mother of four. She lives in Dallas, Texas and writes on subjects related to pre-natal conception for FertilityAnswers.org Mary grateully acknwoledges her friend Enrique Sprout for his writing help and advice.

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Infertility is a problem that plagues many couples. There are many options for a couple facing infertility. Some people seek medical help while others look to a more natural approach. Natural approaches to infertility involve methods of changing ones lifestyle to promote fertility.

Infertility is the inability to conceive a baby or carry a baby to term. It usually requires one year before a couple is said to have problems with fertility. Causes of infertility can be male or female. A majority of couples diagnosed with infertility never do find the underlying cause. Natural approaches to infertility take a look at suspected causes of infertility that are not directly related to male or female problems.

There are many things a couple can do to help with infertility. These approaches are based on studies that have proven certain lifestyle habits, environmental situations and diet can affect the body’s ability to reproduce. Cigarette smoking has been linked to infertility and infertile couples are advised to stop smoking and avoid cigarette smoke all together. Environmental pesticides and metals that an infertile couple is exposed to have also been linked with infertility. Alcohol use has been shown to alter hormone levels in the body that are linked with infertility. Couples are advised to reduce or eliminate alcohol consumption. Another factor linked with infertility is body weight. Someone who is underweight or overweight can have problems with infertility due to the fact that the body’s hormones can be altered due to weight issues. Couples should look at all the factors in their life and try to live as healthy as possible to increase their chances of conceiving.

Infertility has many different causes. Studies are on-going as to why infertility occurs and how to cure it. Until a completely useable, universal cure is found, most treatments are based upon the couple’s efforts.

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There are a number of different types of fertility tests that can be performed. These test range from at home fertility tests, to complex tests a specialized doctor does to couples who are not able to become pregnant. An at home test simply measures the hormones in the urine when a women is fertile. But this test can only work in detecting the hormones while there could be far more in depth problems then that.

Fertility test does not refer to one simple test that can be performed by a fertility doctor. It can, and most likely does, refer to a series of tests that are preformed to try to isolate the problem. Before any testing for actual fertility, medical workups are accomplished including in-depth medical histories of both partners, testing for simple vaginal and cervical viral or bacterial infections that can cause difficulty in achieving pregnancy. These problems are easily treated and you will be able to have children if no other problems exist. After this stage, the real testing begins.

Often the first fertility test performed is a semen analysis and semen culture as well as sperm penetration and function studies. This is not because the male is more often at fault in the case of fertility difficulties, but it can be much easier to obtain a sperm sample that to extract and examine an egg.

One of the most common forms of fertility testing for the females involves something called hysterosalpingogram. This is a form of x-ray that allows the doctors to study the anatomy of the inside reproductive organs. The doctors will look for problems in the lining, location or structure of the uterus as well as allowing them to determine if the fallopian tubes are open and capable of allowing an egg to pass from the ovaries to the uterus. A frequent problem that could cause infertility is scarring. Scarring can be detected by this form of testing, ultrasound can also detect it.

A woman may also under to mid-cycle fertility testing which looks for what is known as the “LH surge”. This hormonal surge occurs just before to the release of the mature egg from the ovary and is tested by looking at the LH in urine. After the LH surge occurs, the couple is asked to have intercourse and then immediately have a post-intercourse examination. At that time cervical mucus can be used to determine if live, healthy sperm are present in the uterus.

There are other tests that can be performed to isolate the problem. Once you have figured out where the problem is there are different ways to treat it. There are techniques, therapies, and treatments available to allow the couple to have a successful pregnancy. However, not one fertility test can quickly and easily identify what is wrong. As technology enhances and becomes more developed it will become easier to isolate the problems that enable a couple to get pregnant.

Tags: fertility, tests, pregnency, sperm, egg, specialists, at home test

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