Female Infertility
When a woman is unable to achieve pregnancy after a year of regular, unprotected sex, the diagnosis is female infertility. There are many causes commonly known as female factors.
Usually, a woman should try to get pregnant for at least a year before calling and seeking a doctor’s advice. A woman aged 35 or older should see the doctor after six months of trying.
In some circles, it is commonly assumed that infertility is a woman’s problem, but that is not so. The truth is that infertility is a shared problem between women and men. Approximately one-third of infertility cases are related to women’s problems.
But the cause may be unknown so it is not surprising that female infertility causes can be challenging to diagnose. However, it is not uncommon for a previously infertile woman to go on to conceive even without treatment.
The most common causes of female infertility issues are ovulation problems. Ovulation produces eggs. Without eggs to be fertilized, there will be no fertilization and no conception. Ovulation problems can interfere with conception in so many ways. Having irregular or absent menstrual periods is a pointer to ovulation issues.
Problems with ovulation can also be caused by what is known as polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). It is the most common cause of female infertility. The challenge with PCOS which is a hormone imbalance problem is that it can interfere with normal ovulation.
Other challenges are Primary ovarian insufficiency (POI), blocked fallopian tubes, endometriosis, and ectopic pregnancy. If there are any physical problems with the uterus such as uterine fibroids, there may also be infertility.
It is no longer news that many women are waiting to have children in their 30s and 40s. Age is a significant cause of female fertility problems. It decreases the chances of conception in many ways. In some women, while some physical issues can be corrected with surgery, others may only require medicines.
Some fertility medicines are effective in treating women with ovulation problems but only on medical advice.
Certain health problems increase the risk of infertility, such as irregular periods or lack of menstrual periods, painful periods, pelvic inflammatory disease, and recurrent miscarriage. A fertility specialist can help find out the cause of fertility problems. This begins with an infertility checkup, usually a physical examination and a series of tests. In women, the first step is to find out whether ovulation is taking place. The woman can also check by tracking her own ovulation. In the clinic, this can be done through blood tests or an ultrasound of the ovaries. Common fertility in women can help find the cause of infertility.
Female infertility treatment depends on the cause or causes. It begins with treating the underlying cause. For a woman diagnosed with infertility, the likelihood of successful treatment is up to 50 percent. The determining factors of success apart from age include accurate diagnosis of the underlying cause. The history of previous pregnancies, period infertility has lasted and the absence of a male-factor is significant.
Ovulation problems are treatable. Common medications that treat infertility help stimulate ovulation. Medication treatments also work, but may not be enough to repair infertility caused by damaged fallopian tubes or severe endometriosis.
There is Intrauterine Insemination or IUI treatment. It is a procedure that involves placing specially washed sperm inside the uterus. It can be used when there is a problem with the cervical mucus. The success rate is not very high, compared to IVF. The advantage of IUI is the lower cost.
Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART) involve the handling of eggs or embryos. Invitro Fertilization (IVF) is the most common form of ART in use today. It involves fertility drugs to stimulate the ovaries to produce eggs. The eggs are then retrieved from the ovaries, mixed with sperm and fertilization takes place.
Afterward, the embryos are placed inside the woman’s uterus. But IVF treatment is not successful for everyone and some couples will require more than one cycle to achieve pregnancy.
The most effective treatment for these conditions is IVF which can help most infertile women to conceive. But there are times when IVF alone isn’t enough. Donated eggs, sperm, embryos, or uterus may be required.
Surrogacy is also employed. This involves when another woman carries the baby for a couple. This may be because a woman doesn’t have a uterus or has other problems that prevent carrying a healthy pregnancy. It also helps for use for unexplained serial IVF failure.
Surgical treatments are available for female Infertility. For instance, for fallopian tube issues that are the cause of infertility, surgery can repair the tubes or remove blockages. Success rates are, however, low.
However, treating female infertility goes beyond fertility treatments. The treatment can also include surgical interventions, lifestyle changes, weight loss, or treatment of an underlying medical condition.
Lifestyle choices and diet can also impact female fertility and success rates of treatment vary considerably. The vast majority of infertile females will need fertility treatments in addition to any lifestyle changes or alternate therapies.
