FEMALE INFERTILITY – Dr. SHENOY FERTILITY CLINIC

Infertility fundamentally refers to the inability to conceive offsprings. In more specific terms, it is the inability to achieve pregnancy by a couple of reproductive age after one whole year of unprotected sexual activity. Primary Infertility is a term used to define infertility in a couple who are yet to have their first child. Secondary Infertility is the failure to conceive after a previous pregnancy. However infertility is not the end of the road, for options like IVF treatment can always lead to a successful pregnancy and it is wise to consult a doctor and understand the options available in every case.
Infertility results from female factors about one-third of the time and male factors about one-third of the time. The cause is either unknown or a combination of male and female factors in the remaining cases.
Female infertility causes can be difficult to diagnose. There are many available treatments, which will depend on the cause of infertility. Many infertile couples will go on to conceive a child without treatment. After trying to get pregnant for two years, about 95 percent of couples successfully conceive.

The main symptom of infertility is the inability to get pregnant. A menstrual cycle that's too long (35 days or more), too short (less than 21 days), irregular or absent can mean that you're not ovulating. There may be no other outward signs or symptoms.
When to seek help sometimes depends on your age:

Up to age 35, most doctors recommend trying to get pregnant for at least a year before testing or treatment.
If you're between 35 and 40, discuss your concerns with your doctor after six months of trying.
If you're older than 40, your doctor may want to begin testing or treatment right away.

Your doctor may also want to begin testing or treatment right away if you or your partner has known fertility problems, or if you have a history of irregular or painful periods, pelvic inflammatory disease, repeated miscarriages, prior cancer treatment, or endometriosis.

For pregnancy to occur, every step of the human reproduction process has to happen correctly. The steps in this process are:

One of the two ovaries releases a mature egg.
The egg is picked up by the fallopian tube.
Sperm swim up the cervix, through the uterus and into the fallopian tube to reach the egg for fertilization.
The fertilized egg travels down the fallopian tube to the uterus.
The fertilized egg implants and grows in the uterus.

In women, a number of factors can disrupt this process at any step. Female infertility is caused by one or more of the factors below.
1) Ovulation disorders
Ovulation disorders, meaning you ovulate infrequently or not at all, account for infertility in about 1 in 4 infertile couples. Problems with the regulation of reproductive hormones by the hypothalamus or the pituitary gland, or problems in the ovary, can cause ovulation disorders.
2) Damage to fallopian tubes (tubal infertility)
Damaged or blocked fallopian tubes keep sperm from getting to the egg or block the passage of the fertilized egg into the uterus. Causes of fallopian tube damage or blockage.
3) Endometriosis
Endometriosis occurs when tissue that normally grows in the uterus implants and grows in other locations. This extra tissue growth — and the surgical removal of it — can cause scarring, which may block fallopian tubes and keep an egg and sperm from uniting.
4) Uterine or cervical causes
Several uterine or cervical causes can impact fertility by interfering with implantation or increasing the likelihood of a miscarriage

Infertility treatment depends on the cause, your age, how long you've been infertile and personal preferences. Because infertility is a complex disorder, treatment involves significant financial, physical, psychological and time commitments.
Although some women need just one or two therapies to restore fertility, it's possible that several different types of treatment may be needed.
Treatments can either attempt to restore fertility through medication or surgery, or help you get pregnant with sophisticated techniques.

FAQs

What is Infertility?

Infertility is a disease or condition of the reproductive system that is often diagnosed after a couple has had one year of unprotected, well-timed intercourse, or if the woman has suffered from multiple miscarriages and the woman is under 35 years of age. If the woman is over 35 years old, it is diagnosed (or should be!) after 6 months of unprotected, well-timed intercourse.This is not just a one sided problem. Approximately, 30% of infertility is due to a female factor and 30% is due to a male factor. In the balance of the cases, infertility also can result from problems in both partners and often the outlying cause of the infertility cannot be explained. In this case it is known as an “unexplained infertility” diagnosis. All of which, equally frustrating.

What are risk factors?

There may be a number of external factors, lifestyle choices and environmental causes that can attribute to an infertility diagnosis. Some risk factors can be gender specific. Here’s a brief snapshot on some of the more common risks factors.

Weight
Age
Smoking
Alcohol
Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs)
Tubal Disease
Endometriosis
DES Exposure

Are there any signs or symptoms?

Short answer: not often. Longer answer: Listen to your body. By getting regular checkups and communicating what you do know, will help to detect any possible clues to potential fertility issues. Early detection and treatment of a problem are often critical in achieving successful pregnancy outcomes later.

What are some ways to treat infertility?

There are many options for treating infertility, however deciding on which one is best for you and your partner can feel a bit overwhelming at first. Start with learning about all of the options that are available to you. With advancing medical technology there are more choices for both men and women trying to conceive. It can be a broad spectrum of hormonal treatments, ovulation induction and Intrauterine insemination to more advanced technologies like in vitro fertilization, ICSI to surrogacy, egg/sperm donation and even embryo donation.