Infertility In Women: Finding Out Why Conception Is Not Occurring

Discovering that there is an obstacle to conception is something that many couples discover daily. Infertility is the inability to conceive after a year of trying and for many couples they can be shocked to discover that they are now faced with this diagnosis.

For many couples, the cause of the infertility may have something to do with both partners, but in about 40% of the cases infertility in women is the issue.

Female infertility causes can range from hormonal problems to structural issues and a woman must endure many different tests in order to narrow down the list of possibilities. Infertility in women can be complicated and may involve several problems at the same time.

Infertility In Women: Some Possibilities

The process of ovulation is complex and is really a balancing act of hormones. Infertility in women can be caused when any of the hormones involved are off or are interrupted by other hormones.

One of the first tests that are used when doing an evaluation is a blood test to check on a woman's hormones and other blood levels such as thyroid and prolactin levels. If the thyroid is not functioning properly a woman may not be ovulating and if prolactin levels are elevated, again this will interfere with ovulation so ruling out these possibilities is one of the first steps in looking at infertility in women.

If all of these blood tests come back normal, a woman may find that she still has a hormonal imbalance during the process of ovulation. Sometimes a woman will have problems with the hormone progesterone which is important during the second half of a cycle after ovulation. This hormone is important as it is present in the second half of a cycle, when conception takes place. Women who have early miscarriages often have low progesterone.

Infertility in women can also be caused by endometriosis. This condition affects many women and is not only an issue in infertility but also a painful chronic condition. In endometriosis, the endometrial lining of the uterus is found outside of the uterus. This tissue can cause scar tissue to develop and can adhere to organs throughout the pelvic cavity. The condition can not be diagnosed without surgery and the adhesions are difficult to remove and unfortunately most women find that even after surgery, the adhesions return.

In order to determine what is the cause of infertility, women must endure many different diagnostic tests. These can take months and most will discover it may be a combination of issues that must be dealt with.

Infertility in women can be complicated to treat, but for many conception will happen and they find that the entire struggle is worth it to have a baby.