Infertility

There are a variety of options for infertile couples!

What is infertility?
Infertility is a disease or condition of the reproductive system resulting in the inability to conceive after one year of unprotected well-timed intercourse. Infertility also includes the inability to carry a pregnancy to the delivery of a live baby.

Infertility is a medical condition, not a sexual disorder.

Sperm can be inseminated for 12 well-timed cycles as a measure of infertility for women with no male partner or for couples unable to have normal intercourse for medical reasons. There are some cases of inability to conceive due to failure to achieve intercourse for medical reasons, such as spinal injury in the male partner.

One in every six couples of childbearing age have a problem conceiving. Over 80% of all infertile couples can be helped to achieve pregnancy with proper medical treatment.

Infertility is a female problem in 35% of the cases, a male problem in 35% of the cases, a combined problem of the couple in 20% of cases, and unexplained in 10% of cases. It is essential that both the man and the woman be evaluated during an infertility work-up.

Most physicians advise you not to be concerned unless you have been trying to conceive for at least one year. If the female partner is over 30 years old, has a history of pelvic inflammatory disease, painful periods, recurrent miscarriage, or irregular periods then it might be prudent to seek help sooner. Waiting only 6 months before having an initial consultation for women 35 years and older is often recommended since if a problem is found there is less time for correction. If the male partner has a known or suspected low sperm count, then it would also be prudent to seek help sooner than waiting a year. Treating male infertility
- Varicocele
- ICSI
- antihistamines and alpha-sympathomimetics
- Antiestrogens
- Coffee and vitamin C
- Vitamin E
- Vitamins and herbs
- MESA, TESA,PESA (retrieving sperm)

Other treatments include
- surgery to remove blockage,
- vasectomy
- reversal (of course) and
- some kind of gadget which men wear to cool the scrotum area.

Treating female infertility
- clomiphene citrate, menotropins (Pergonal, Humegon), and urofollitropins
- accupuncture or herbs
- Endometriosis
- Danazol, Lupron or birth control pills.
- Polycystic ovaries (PCO)
- low-dose aspirin and Heparin
- paternal white blood cell immunization and IVIg
- laparoscopy and hysteroscopy
- antibiotics

Corrective Surgeries for Wowen
- Laparoscopy
- Hysteroscopy
- Tuboplasty
- Fimbrioplasty
- Ovarian drilling
- Ovarian wedge resection

Drugs Commonly Used in Infertility Treatment

- Aspirin
- Birth control pills
- Bromocriptine
- Clomiphene citrate
- Conjugated estrogens
- Danazol
- Estradiol
- Follitropins, alpha and beta
- Recombinant FSH
- Gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH)
- Guaifenesin
- Heparin
- Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG)
- Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg)
- Leuprolide acetate
- Menotropins
- Paternal white blood cell immunization
- Progestins
- Progesterone
- Progynon C
- Steroids
- Tamoxifen
- Urofollitropins
- Urofollitropins

Causes of infertility in men

- Cancer treatment
- DES (diethylstilbestrol) exposure
- Hormonal imbalances
- Hyperprolactinemia (excess prolactin)
- Idiopathic oligospermia
- Immune problems
- Impotence
- Infection
- Klinefelter's Syndrome
- Lifestyle factors
- Obstruction
- Prior surgery
- Retrograde ejaculation
- Sexual Dysfunction
- Trauma to testicles
- Undescended testicle
- Varicocele
- Vasectomy reversal

Evaluation process for men

- Discussion of medical and surgical history.
- Physical exam
- Urinalysis
- Semen analysis
- Endocrine tests
- Postcoital
- Sperm Penetration Assay (SPA), or Hamster test (HEPA)
- Testicular biopsy
- Ultrasound of seminal vesicles
- Vasogram

Causes of infertility in women

- Adhesions and scarring
- Age
- Asherman's Syndrome
- Cancer treatment
- DES (diethylstilbestrol) exposure
- Endometriosis
- Environmental hazards
- Hyperprolactinemia
- Hypothyroid
- Immunological problems
- Luteal phase defect (LPD)
- Luteinized unruptured follicle syndrome (LUFS)
- Medication
- Menopause
- Obesity
- Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)
- Premature ovarian failure (POF)
- Recurrent miscarriage/pregnancy loss (RPL)
- Smoking
- Tubal ligation (and failed surgery to reverse)
- Turner's Syndrome
- Uterine abnormalities
- Vegetarian lifestyle

Evaluation process for women
- Discussion of medical and surgical history.
- Hormone tests
- Insulin resistance (IR) testing
- Abdominal ultrasound
- Trans-vaginal ultrasound
- Post-coital test (PCT)
- Endometrial biopsy (EMB)
- Hysterosalpingogram (HSG)
- Laparoscopy
- Hysteroscopy
- Infectious disease testing
- Immune testing
- Lupus (SLE) tests
- Anti-nuclear antibodies (ANA) tests
- Anti-thyroid antibodies (ATA)
- Anti-sperm antibodies (ASA)
- Alloimmune tests
- MRI or CT scan



Comments: Infertility

Comments 1 to 13 of about 13.
1

1more4us - 18 days ago.
I had a tubal reversal a year ago and only have one tube. I'm doing my first IUI cycle this month. I'll be taking femara and follistim. Hopefully this does the trick for us!!!

padow - 56 days ago.
Hi there. Little bit of history about me...had a blocked tube and sperm allergy but had a baby girl via IUI last year. Have had some tests done this year which concluded that the sperm allergy is gone but the tube is blocked again. Currently seeing a new dr (yesterday) and had a large follicle on the good side, so she sent me home w/an HCG shot, hormones and homework! If it doesn't work this month, we are going to do rounds of IUI again. I am amazed at science and so thankful that we are able to have children w/it's assistance. It is still scary, exciting and frustrating all at the same time, though. But it's something I believe in and encourage anyone going through it. I haven't been online here as regular as I will be now and would love to hear from any of you and support you in any way that I can, and vice-versa! Hope this finds you doing well and Baby Dust to ALL!!!

shyemykel061808 - 92 days ago.
hi there!ive been diagnosed PCOS 4 the past 3 yrs,didnt mind it at first bcoz i wasnt ready yet to have a baby.but when i got married,everything changed.my hubby really wanted to have a child,aftr a yr of TTC,iam finally pregnant,off to 9 wks!i was so glad!but mind you,i almost gave up and were on the verge of splitting up but my little angel patch things out btween us!my OB gave me eveprim double dose,so dont lose hope.

mummie2trey - 123 days ago.
Hey guys just poping in for sum suport.. i have had 2 miscarges (think it may have sumthink to do with my CMV),i now have 1 baby boy who was 6weeks premuture hes turning 2in 7weeks, after him i was told i couldnt get pregnant due to infertilty..after 14months of blood test it finali showd in may that i was inbetwen fertile and infertile... i never thght id get pregnant and every1 seemd to b getting pregnant around me..i was soo upset all the time but never gave up... My dr said the best way to concevie is to have sex every 2ND day (not everyday) and try different times of the day such as morning, lunch, and night time... FINALLY after 15months (1 month after becoming fertile) i finaly got pregnant...im now 15wks... Just wantd to let u all know that even if ur told ur infertile not to let it stop u frm trying...

happy out - 130 days ago.
ill second that veryhappytobepregnant. iwas told i had endometriosis when i was 17 and had been trying to concieve for 4 years without success. i went for one session of acupuncture and am now 20 weeks pregnant with identical twins!! far too much of a coincedence, id recommend it to anyone!

want2bmommy - 130 days ago.
i've been trying.. for nearly 2 years now.. without treatments.. this is my 1st mth of taking prenatal pills.. wish me luck.. baby dust to all

Veryhappy2BPregnant - 209 days ago.
To All Women tring to conceive with problems, before you go for IVF or taking fertlity drugs. Please try Accupuncture it worked for me. I was told at the age of 17 that I would Never conceive on my own because I was Post-menposal. I always wanted to be a mother , so I didn't give up hope. I started going to Accupuncture and taking Chinese Herbs after two weeks I started getting my periods back, which I never had since I was 16. After 8 months I conceived naturally !!! =) Women who conceive from Accupuncture have very healthy babies. Im now 17 weeks pregnant, I want to tell all the women DON'T GIVE UP HOPE!!!

msmeli81 - 217 days ago.
i was diagnosed with PCOS a few years ago...So it was really hard for me to get pregnant..i wouldnt have periods for like 3 yrs at a time unless i took medication to start my period...so my doctor gave me fertility pills (clomid) so i can get pregnant and i took this medication with my daughter and this pregnancy...and everything came out great with my daughter and this one is going great too!! but before my daughter i had 4 miscarriages...

sweetlemon53 - 329 days ago.
So hubby made the calls today to see who the insurance recommends for an RE and how much they could help out. It looks like the insurance will pay up to $10K total/ lifetime toward treatments and up to $5k for fertility drugs. Now I just have to see if we have already used any of that. I am hoping not, we have paid for most out of pocket to my knowledge. So that should at least cover to get my eggs checked and a series of IVF treatments. Now I just have to find the Dr. I like in network.

sweetlemon53 - 329 days ago.
I need to vent for a minute ladies. First off AF showed late and after two days of nausa. So I called the DR. and explained that I just finished 7th round of Femera and this is my 24th month of TTC and that I didn't want to try Clomid- no offence but femera has better to same results as clomid with less side effects and I hated the hotflashes as is. So he said there is nothing else he can do and recomended someone. I am pissed- I feel like he has been just dragging me along.... I feel like he has acted like he was the be all specialist -acting like he could do the injectables, IUIs and IVF- that I just didn't need that yet????? any advise?

katie-d - 330 days ago.
i was on clomid for 7 mths (concieved my first child on it - first try). would not gert it on the internet though, go to a doctor! this time, it didn't work for me though, so i had 6 iui's. one took but m/c. total bummer. i got so tired of all the treatments and dr visits!!! frustrating. i am 38 though so advanced maternal age, had to do it. dr finally recommended ivf, ugh. i decided to take a few months off to think about it. in the meantime, i also decided to take better care of myself. started eating better and exercising. i found an herbal supplement on the internet and decided to try that too since i was no longer on clomid (you can't take it if you are on fertility meds). the following month to my amazement, i got pregnant. i had been trying for 3 years, 1 year being spent with my ob/gyn then a fertility specialist. i am due feb 2009... i don't know if the herbal supplement did it, i wasn't even on it a full month, but it was called fertil-aid. given all i have been through though, it made a believer out of me whether it helped or not. i considered accupuncture too (fertility doc suggested it as an option) but it was per $3K for the fertility program so i decided to wait a while before dropping tons more money. i do have friends who swear it helped them though. i know how hard it is, good luck to everyone out there trying, don't give up.

tracey316 - 384 days ago.
Hi- My husband and I decided to go and see a fertility doctor. We have a two year old daughter and have had three m/c since she was born. I was wondering if any of you ttc have read the book 'The Infertility Cure' and if so what did you think? also I was wondering if any of you are doing alternative methods like accupuncture and herbs??

res - 387 days ago.
I got my day 3 results and they were really good. We officially have unexplained infertility. So, we are trying a low dose IUI this month.

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