Infertility

Infertility affects about ten percent of couples of childbearing age. Usually, couples will conceive within the first twelve months after stopping birth control measures. Infertility is not just a concern for women. The male has the problem in about forty percent of infertile couples. Some couples, after medical investigation, have nothing found to cause infertility.

For women there are several reasons for infertility. If the reproduction system doesn't produce the correct amount of hormones needed to develop and release a healthy egg. Anatomical problems are often found to be the cause of infertility. A blockage of the fallopian tube, or scar tissue from previous surgeries or infections also will result in infertility.

Endometriosis is a common condition causing problems and keeping a woman from becoming pregnant. This condition is caused by tissue that is normally inside the uterus forms outside the uterus and attaches to other reproductive organs or the abdominal cavity. This tissue responds to hormonal changes women experience every month by building up and breaking down causing internal bleeding. This internal bleeding causes scar tissue to form and then affects the reproductive organ functions. Bacteria such as gonorrhea and Chlamydia, which causes car tissue to develop between internal organs, may also affect women. This can cause the egg to be implanted outside the uterus.

A woman may also experience immunological problems. A woman's body may not recognize the pregnancy and release antibodies that attack the fertilized egg. Antisperm antibodies also can develop, attack, and destroy the sperm.

Males also have problems that can prevent pregnancy. They may have a low sperm count, or the sperm may not be able to penetrate the egg. The use of recreational drugs can affect sperm quality and function. Marijuana, cocaine, cigarette smoking, and alcohol use can also affect sperm quality.

A man may be born with abnormalities in his reproductive system that occurred during his fetal development. This could be caused by something the mother has taken during her pregnancy. In addition, a man may have Antisperm antibodies, which attack the sperm and destroy it.

A doctor or OB/GYN specialist will perform tests and evaluate the circumstances in both the male and female to find the cause of infertility. Areas that may be explored are if the female is ovulating as they should and is the male producing healthy sperm with a good sperm count. Do the sperm and egg unite and are there obstacles in the way of implantation and maintenance of a pregnancy?

Men are often sent for semen analysis to discover any problems with the sperm shape, count, and mobility. Other testing of male hormone levels, and the ability of the sperm to penetrate the egg may be ordered. They may be referred to an urologist for further testing procedures.

Depending on what is found in both the female and male partner, treatment can be used to increase the chances of pregnancy. Treatment and a combination of drugs and surgical procedures can correct abnormalities that are stopping conception.

For some couples, when all else has failed, may turn to assisted reproductive technology. This procedure is costly but successful. The most popular method of ART is in vitro fertilization. That involves extracting eggs from the female and fertilizing them with the male sperm in the laboratory, then reinserting the embryo into the woman's uterus where it can then develop. This method is the most common used with couples with infertility problems.

Other ways to help infertile couples are artificial insemination, drug therapy, using eggs from a donor and surgery.

Couples who cannot conceive have other choices open to them. Donor eggs and sperm banks are available for those couples that are unable to produce either eggs or sperm. When an egg is donated, the donor gives up parental rights to any child that may be born from the donated egg. The success of donor egg implantation is related to the age of the donor. Most donors are in her 20's and early 30's.

Some couples may not find anything physically wrong in their search for causes of infertility. Even though nothing is found, that doesn't mean there isn't a physical problem. About 10 to 15 percent of infertile couples have unexplained infertility. If you think you may have an infertility problem, contact your doctor. If a woman is young and the problem is caught early, the problem has more of a chance of being corrected.