Women's Health

Infertility

Written by Mark Abell

Having a problem with fertility, particularly with the young couple with no offspring, can be devastating with respect to relationships and how the couple feels about themselves as well as their partners. When a couple has been trying to have a pregnancy for a period of six months to a year and they have not been successful, they may be considered infertile. It has been estimated that more than 2.4 million couples with women of reproductive age are considered infertile. With the advent of advances in technique with respect to in vitro fertilization (IVF), more couples are enjoying the right to have offspring in spite of their shortcomings.

There are many causes of infertility; endometriosis (http:www.dunwoodymed.com/endo/question.htm is probably the most common cause of infertility. Before anyone is screened for infertility, there should be some discussion with your physician concerning your history, particularly if you have been pregnant previously. Your physician will be ordering information from your previous surgeries, pregnancies, which will tell him or her of any problems encountered. This will include the dates of your previous pregnancies as well as any complications which may have damaged the genital tract. Additionally, he or she will be questioning you concerning your family history to ensure that there are no genetic disorders listed; a marital history as well as a history of exposure to toxic substances is also very important.

The problem with infertility is never always the fault of the female. Men should be tested for a semen analysis as well as a twenty-four hour follow up to repeat the test. If the semen tests show a low level, the male can have other blood tests run, such as FSH and LH (follicle stimulating hormone and Leutenizing hormone). Both men and women should be checked for thyroid problems, as it does in problems for both sexes; the female could have amenorrhea (lack of a period) in cases of hyperthyroidism as well as hypothyroidism.

It has been estimated that about 5 to 6 percent of men in their reproductive years are infertile. Although the problem is usually medically or physiologically related, some male infertility is due to technique alone, such as infrequent intercourse, premature withdrawal, and having "poor timing with menses". Retrograde ejaculation is a very common problem among male who are infertile; the problem can be easily corrected once identified. Some of the problems associated with male infertility is due to hypogonadism, which really means that there is a deficiency in the amount or even quality of the sperm. In these situations, the male is treated with androgens, or sex hormones. Treatment is usually very effective.

Other medical problems which may result in infertility include Polycystic ovarian disease (PCOD), which is a problem encountered with many ovarian cysts; these women do not usually ovulate. In women who are normal with respect to the ovaries, FSH (follicle stimulating hormone) causes the ovarian follicles to develop; then LH (Leutenizing hormone) causes the mature follicles to mature and ovulate. When the follicles do not develop properly (due to the LG being too high), the follicles form cysts.

Infertility can affect the psychologic well being of any couple, indeed. When one is infertile, they consider themselves "not whole"; the clinician's job, then, besides trying to find the problem that has caused infertility (whether it be the man or the woman), is to get the couple "back in control" of the situation. These couples go to the doctor because of the fact that they "feel" out of control. It is important that your clinician sit down with you and discuss all of the different reasons for infertility, the risks associated with investigating the problem(s), as well as the risks for treatment.

Whatever the reason for infertility, it is important to know that there is usually some for of treatment available. Check with your doctor.

There are a lot of resources on the Internet for infertility. Check out these Links:

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