Infertility is defined as the condition when the couples are not able to conceive after unprotected sex for the duration of one year. This can occur when various factors can interfere with the conception. The primary infertility is the inability to conceive without any previous pregnancy and the second infertility is the fertility problem that occurs after they had a successful first pregnancy. Infertility is also defined by the women who conceive but continue to have miscarriages or stillbirths. However, there are various effective treatments that can improve the couple’s chance of successful pregnancy.
Causes
The cause of infertility is determined based on the basic infertility evaluation. Some of the common causes of infertility include fertility and female age problems, egg quantity or quality problems, unexplained infertility, tubal infertility and ovulation problems. Some of the addition causes can also include endometriosis, uterine problems, previous tubal ligation surgery and previous vasectomy surgery. The causes of abnormal semen in men include varicoceles when the man’s testicles overheat affecting the quantity of sperm, medical conditions such as diabetes, trauma, infection, cystic fibrosis and exposure to environmental toxins such as pesticides.
Symptoms
Infertility is considered to be the common symptom of not conceiving. Irregular menstrual period or absent menstrual period can also contribute to this among the women and hormonal problems can also be an indication of infertility among men. It is important to discuss infertility with the doctor if the woman is over the age of 40, diagnosed with endometriosis, had multiple miscarriages or stillbirths, painful periods or irregular menstruation period. Men can also seek medical evaluation particularly if they have low sperm count, history of sexual problems, changes in the size of the testicles and the presence of infertility problem in the family.
Diagnosis
The diagnosis is based on the individual’s medical and sexual history. In some of the couples, no specific cause can be identified. Some of the tests for men consist of physical examination of the genitals, semen analysis, hormone testing, testicular biopsy and genetic testing. The tests for women are based on whether the ovaries are releasing the healthy eggs. The evaluation is based on the regular gynecological examination, ovulation testing, ovarian reserve testing, various levels of hormone testing that controls the reproductive process and imaging tests that seeks to identify if problems of the uterine or fallopian tube is apparent.
Treatment
The treatment is based on the factors that cause the infertility, the age of the individual, the duration of infertility and the preference of the couples. The treatment for men includes medications to improve the sperm count, surgery to remove sperm blockage and sperm retrieval. The treatment for women can include stimulating ovulation with medications, intrauterine insemination or surgery to restore fertility when problems such as endometrial polyps are identified. The in vitro fertilization process involves retrieving the mature eggs, fertilizing them with the sperm in the laboratory and implanting the embryos in the uterus.
References
http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/infertility/diagnosis-treatment/treatment/txc-20228794
http://www.advancedfertility.com/infertility.htm
https://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/infertility/
https://medlineplus.gov/infertility.html