Infertility affects 6.1 million American men and women. Fortunately, advances in medicine have helped many of these couples to start a family. Today, effective medical treatments exist for any type of infertility problem that you may encounter, giving infertile couples more treatment options than ever before. If you have problems with pregnancy and decide to seek treatment, your doctor will conduct a thorough evaluation to determine the best options for you.
Typically, your doctor will review you and your medical history partners. He will discuss with you topics such as your family history, operations history, and a discussion of your current sexual practices. In addition, your doctor will also conduct a physical examination. Based on your medical history and lifestyle history, your doctor will perform some basic tests, including lab work, pelvic exam, Pap smear, common cultures for STD treatment and, as a rule, pelvic ultrasound. Your partner will also be considered; he will have to provide a sample of sperm for analysis and possible blood tests.
In fact, there are several important questions that your doctor must answer before he recommends treatment of any type. Is there a male factor or a sperm problem? Is there a problem with ovulation (letting go of the egg every month)? Can egg and sperm meet in fallopian tubes? If the egg and the sperm really unite, can the embryo be implanted into the womb?
Most of these questions can be answered with basic testing. However, later in the assessment you may need extensive testing, including an x-ray examination of your tubes (hysterosalpingogram), a uterus or uterus biopsy, hysteroscopy, to look directly at the lining of the uterus and possibly laparoscopy (minimally invasive surgery) to look at the entire pelvis .
For some patients, initial treatment may fail; however, patients have repeatedly found successful treatment. As a rule, treatment is divided into five categories:
- Ovulation induction if your body does not produce enough hormones or fails to release the right hormones at the right time. Medications are used to replace or supplement these hormones with induction ovulation or the development of spermatozoa.
- Surgery can correct the anatomical problems of any of the partners, including scar tissue, varicocele, endometriosis, fibroids and other problems of the uterus.
- Artificial insemination or intrauterine insemination (IUI) is the process of placing sperm directly into a woman’s uterus during ovulation to increase the chances of fertilization.
- Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART) is an improved method of infertility, but it needs to be used only about 5% of couples. In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) combines sperm and eggs in the laboratory, and then places the early embryo back into the uterus, largely bypassing the body's fertility problem.
- Micromanipulation technique , called intracytoplasmic sperm injection (or ICSI), is used to increase IVF success rates. This method involves the injection of single sperm directly into the egg.
These achievements allow many couples with infertility to experience the joys of parenthood. While many couples may become pregnant with the help of their gynecologist or first aid assistant, couples with complex fertility problems and especially women over the age of 35 can use the services of a specialist in reproductive endocrinology and infertility, Infertility can change almost every aspect of a person’s life , including their self-esteem and relationships with others. Few life situations are just as complex and overwhelming.
You are not alone in this journey. If you are having difficulty getting pregnant, the first step is to contact a doctor who is knowledgeable about infertility, usually an obstetrician / gynecologist or family practice. Some doctors have special experience in this area - these doctors are called reproductive endocrinologists (RE). Few situations in life are more difficult to overcome. Your doctor understands this process and can help you deal with your frustrations, as well as give you a clear perspective.
QUICK FACTS PREGNANCY
- Infertility is NOT an inconvenience; it is a disorder of the reproductive system that impairs the body’s ability to perform the main function of reproduction.
- Infertility affects about 6.1 million women and their partners in the United States - about ten percent of the population of reproductive age ( Source: National Family Growth Survey, CDC 1995 ).
- Infertility affects men and women equally.
- Most cases of infertility - from 85% to 90% - are treated with traditional medical methods, such as drug treatment or surgery.
- While it is vital for some patients, in vitro fertilization and advanced treatment methods make up less than 3% of infertility services.
