Infertility

Treating infertility

Statistics say that most couples – about 85 percent – conceive a child within one year of their first attempt to do so. For some couples, however, pregnancy is elusive. Some couples try and try and simply cannot achieve pregnancy. When a couple cannot become pregnant after one year of trying, one or both partners may have an underlying issue with infertility.

Infertility simply means that either one or both members of the couple have a reduced ability to create a baby. Infertility can lead to feelings of guilt and inadequacy, on either the part of the woman or the man – or both.

Causes of Infertility

If a couple has not been able to become pregnant after a year of trying, it is typically suggested that both members of the couple go for fertility testing. The purpose of this testing is to determine what, exactly, has caused the infertility so that a treatment plan can be devised and implemented.

Male infertility is usually caused by some type of sperm disorder. The causes of male infertility include a low sperm count, poor sperm mobility, malformed sperm, blocked sperm ducts or a temporary drop in sperm production due to testicular injury.

With women, there can many different causes of infertility. Age can certainly be a factor; fertility for women declines with age, and many women over the age of 35 have difficulty becoming pregnant. Other causes of female infertility include a lack of ovulation, an inability of the fallopian tubes to carry the eggs from the ovaries to the uterus, or an inability of the egg to implant correctly inside the uterus. This can be because of fibroid growths, endometriosis, tumors or cervical problems.

Infertility Treatment Options

Infertility treatment will depend upon the reason why a couple has had infertility problems. There are many options for treatment, though. Some couples may need fertility drugs, for instance. Laparoscopic surgery is an option in certain instances. Artificial insemination, in vitro fertilization and egg donors are also available to couples experiencing severe fertility problems.