Sisterhood of Angel Mama’s Magazine | April 2021
Infertility
Written by Sisterhood of Angel Mama’s
Photo by Google
Infertility, not being able to get pregnant after one year of trying or six months if a woman is 35 or older. Women who can get pregnant but are unable to stay pregnant may also be infertile. About 10 percent of women in the United States ages 15-44 have difficulty getting pregnant or staying pregnant, according to the CDC.
Both women and men can have problems that cause infertility. About one-third of infertility cases are caused by women’s problems. Another one third of fertility problems are due to the man. The other cases are caused by a mixture of male and female problems or by unknown problems.
In most cases infertility in women are caused by problems with ovulation. Without ovulation, there are no eggs to be fertilized. Some signs that a woman is not ovulating normally include irregular or absent menstrual periods.
Ovulation problems are often caused by polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). PCOS is a hormone imbalance problem which can interfere with normal ovulation. PCOS is the most common cause of female infertility. Primary ovarian insufficiency (POI) is another cause of ovulation problems. POI occurs when a woman’s ovaries stop working normally before she is 40. POI is not the same as early menopause.
In most cases infertility in men are caused by a problem called varicocele. This happens when the veins on a man’s testicle(s) are too large. This heats the testicles and the heat can affect the number or shape of the sperm. Other factors that cause a man to make too few sperm or none at all. Movement of the sperm. This may be caused by the shape of the sperm. Sometimes injuries or other damage to the reproductive system block the sperm.
Sometimes a man is born with the problems that affect his sperm. Other times problems start later in life due to illness or injury.
Infertility Treatments
In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) combines a woman’s eggs and a man’s sperm in a laboratory to produce an embryo. The embryo is then implanted in the woman’s womb (uterus) for pregnancy. IVF often has the highest chance of success because it bypasses several conditions in both the male and female reproductive systems that cause infertility.
Intrauterine insemination (IUI), a procedure that directly deposits healthy sperm into the uterus, bypassing the cervix and increasing chances of egg fertilization. Performed in the fertility office, IUI takes less than 15 minutes.
Find more information by asking your doctor or visiting a fertility specialist.