Infertility
Infertility
Infertility is a deeply personal and often challenging experience that can affect both men and women. It is important to recognize that infertility as a medical condition can be caused by various factors, many of which are beyond an individual’s control. At Baptist Medical Network, we provide compassionate care and work with families to help determine the most appropriate plan of action that may result in a healthy pregnancy.
In the United States, about 9% of men and 11% of women of reproductive age have experienced fertility issues. One out of five women aged 15 to 49 who haven’t given birth cannot conceive. Within this group, 1 in 4 have difficulty carrying a pregnancy to full term.
The main infertility sign is being unable to conceive after six months to one year of regular sex without birth control. While some people may not show other symptoms, others may experience:
- Abdominal or pelvic pain
- Irregular periods or vaginal bleeding
- No periods
- Ejaculation issues
- Penile disorders
Determining if you’re experiencing infertility requires a thorough evaluation by a doctor. In men, infertility diagnosis may include the following:
- Sperm count or semen analysis
- Blood tests
- Testicular biopsy
Physicians have several tests and procedures to confirm a diagnosis when a woman is suspected of being infertile. These include:
- A blood test
- An endometrial biopsy
- Additional diagnostic tests to determine if scar tissue or fallopian tube obstruction is present, such as:
- Hysterosalpingography – a procedure that uses either ultrasound or X-ray images of the reproductive organs to determine if the fallopian tubes are blocked.
- Laparoscopy – a minimally invasive procedure where a laparoscope is inserted into the abdomen through a small incision near the belly button to view the outside of the uterus, ovaries and fallopian tubes to detect abnormal growths (endometriosis).
- Ovarian reserve testing – a test to determine a woman’s ovarian reserve to predict whether she can produce an egg or eggs of good quality and how her ovaries are responding to hormonal signals from her brain.
- Urinary luteinizing hormone (LH) testing – a specialized urinary test to help define the times of peak fertility by predicting ovulation before it occurs.
Depending on the underlying cause, infertility treatments may include medications, intrauterine insemination (IUI), surgery or assisted reproductive technology (ART). Some injectable and oral medications gynecologists may recommend as fertility treatments in women include:
- Bromocriptine
- Clomiphene Citrate
- Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone
- Follicle-Stimulating Hormone or FSH
- Human Menopausal Gonadotropin or hMG
- Metformin
It is necessary to be aware that fertility treatment drugs can increase the potential of having twins, triplets or other multiples. Women should be aware that pregnancies with multiple fetuses may have more complications during pregnancy, such as having a high risk of premature birth and an increased risk of health and developmental issues.
Often, medication and IUI are used simultaneously. IUI is often used to treat mild male factor infertility as well as a recommendation for couples with unexplained infertility. This procedure involves inserting a specially prepared sperm into the woman’s womb.
On the other hand, ART involves harvesting mature egg cells from a woman and combining them with sperm in the laboratory, resulting in embryos. The embryos are returned to the woman’s body or donated to another woman. ART includes:
- In vitro fertilization (IVF)
- Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI)
- Zygote intrafallopian transfer (ZIFT)
- Gamete intrafallopian transfer (GIFT)