Infertility may result from issues in either the male or female reproductive systems; or even both combined together.
Infertility affects people of any age. Male factors usually play a part in infertility; other times it cannot be identified. But most couples who undergo treatment do eventually get pregnant.
Ovulation problems
Ovulation problems in women can be the source of infertility. One ovary normally releases an egg each month during the menstrual cycle and travels down the fallopian tube to be fertilized by sperm; but if an egg can’t be fertilized by sperm it won’t lead to pregnancy.
Symptoms of PCOS can include irregular periods and painful or long periods, both which could be signs of endometriosis. Furthermore, salpingitis occurs when tubes that carry eggs down from ovaries become blocked with fluid build-up and must pass.
First step to increase chances of conception is having sexual intercourse more frequently at around the time of ovulation for women who have difficulty. If this strategy doesn’t work, consulting a health care provider to diagnose the problem and recommend treatment – whether medicine or surgery (increasing egg production through stimulation of ovaries may increase chances), while surgery can repair problems with the uterus and fallopian tubes as well as remove endometriosis fibroids or any other abnormalities from these structures.
Anatomical problems
Women may experience difficulty becoming pregnant if their fallopian tubes are damaged or scarred, or if she suffers from pelvic inflammatory disease or endometriosis which may result in miscarriage. A doctor might then suggest treatments like pelvic surgery or drugs which could treat these conditions and help the couple conceive after completion.
Problems with sperm could be at the core of male infertility issues, from low counts or slow movement through the reproductive tract, which a sperm test can detect. Other tests might look for chromosomal anomalies caused by drug usage during gestation or certain cancer treatments that affect mother/baby bonding processes.
Doctors can diagnose infertility by asking questions about menstrual cycle and prior pregnancies, while in other instances there are no symptoms. With age comes increased difficulty getting pregnant as quality and quantity of eggs decrease due to production of follicles that release eggs slowing down over time. Mucus accumulation in the cervix makes conception even harder for many, often caused by pelvic surgeries, chemotherapy/radiation treatments or taking diethylstilbestrol (DES) medication among other causes; other possible explanations have yet to be identified.
Sperm problems
Men must produce healthy sperm that can join with a woman’s egg to form a fertilized embryo, however problems with how these sperm are produced or moved through the fallopian tubes can lead to infertility and disordered function, low sperm count or damage to either urethra or cervix (which connects penis with vagina) can all cause problems that lead to infertility. These issues include disruptions of testicular function or moving through fallopian tubes can cause issues caused by disruptions of testicular function disruptions or difficulties passing through fallopian tubes to reach uterus which results infertility as a whole. Disordered function disruption of testicular function can result infertility while low sperm count or damaged transport through fallopian tubes can all result in infertility problems causing infertility issues – or damage that connect the penis with vagina resulting in infertility issues being the source.
Ovulation disorders make up approximately half of female infertility cases. They include irregular or no ovulation at all, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), and other causes of hormone imbalances; PCOS can often involve abnormal ovulation, weight gain and irregular periods as symptoms.
Women undergoing infertility evaluation typically undergo a pelvic exam, Pap test and blood tests as part of an initial infertility exam. An additional sex-recognition test may also be utilized in order to predict when they’ll likely ovulate – this can be accomplished with basal body temperature charts, other predictive methods or hormone testing.
Men undergoing semen analysis should perform tests that assess their volume, number, movement and quality of sperm. Other tests can also be run to look for any issues with testicles or ejaculatory function that might have resulted from injury, alcohol abuse or certain medications.
Other problems
Being infertile can be emotionally trying and distressful, forcing many couples to resort to fertility treatment or adoption in order to have their own biological child. Unfortunately, infertility problems affect people of both genders, with about one third traceable back to something wrong with either partner (usually female); one quarter to something that’s wrong with both partners; with others remaining unexplained.
Acknowledging your body can help you understand when and if you are likely to ovulate. If your menstrual cycle is shorter or irregular, that could indicate you’re not ovulating regularly; thyroid conditions, pituitary tumors or eating disorders could all play a part.
Medical exams and blood tests are one way to identify the source of infertility. Your healthcare provider may test your cervical mucus for infections before performing a pelvic exam with a Pap test and ultrasound of your uterus. They may also suggest hysteroscopy, in which they insert a thin tube (hysteroscope) directly into your uterus to examine it directly.
Once your healthcare provider understands what’s causing your infertility, they can suggest treatments. These could range from using a device to insert washed and prepared sperm directly into the uterus to taking hormone medications to regulate ovulation cycles.
