What is infertility in women (female infertility)?
Infertility is the attempt to get pregnant (often through sex) without even being successful for at least a year. Female infertility, male infertility, or a combination of both affect millions of couples in the United States. It is estimated that between 10 and 18 percent of couples have difficulty conceiving or giving birth successfully.
One-third of infertility is due to female factors and one-third to malefactors. The cause or, in other cases, a combination of female and male factors is unknown. Women who can conceive but women who are not pregnant also suffer from infertility. A woman who cannot conceive suffers from primary infertility. A woman who has had at least one successful pregnancy in the past will suffer from secondary infertility.
Infertility is not just a female problem. Men are also prone to infertility. In fact, men and women are just as likely to have fertility problems. The causes of female infertility are difficult to diagnose. There are many treatments available that depend on the cause of infertility. Most infertile couples conceive a child without Infertility treatment. After trying to conceive for two years, 95 percent of couples conceive successfully.
Signs and symptoms of female infertility
Signs and symptoms of female infertility are often related to other underlying conditions. For example, 10 to 15 percent of trusted sources of untreated chlamydia cases will lead to pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). PID leads to a blockage of the fallopian tubes, which prevents fertilization.
There are numerous conditions that can contribute to infertility in men and women. The signs and symptoms of female infertility of each can vary greatly. If you’re concerned, it’s important to consult an infertility specialist doctor.
Common signs of infertility in women:
- Irregular periods
- Painful or heavy periods
- No periods
- Symptoms of hormonal fluctuations
- Pain during sexual intercourse
Causes of female infertility
Female infertility can be caused by a variety of factors that affect, Each of these factors is necessary to get pregnant:
- You need to ovulate
- Your partner needs sperm
- You need to have sex regularly
- You must have open fallopian tubes and a normal uterus
For pregnancy to occur, every step of the human reproductive process must be done correctly. The steps in this process are:
- One of the two ovaries releases a mature egg
- The egg is retrieved through the fallopian tube
- Sperm swim through the uterus, through the uterus, and into the fallopian tube to reach the egg for fertilization.
- The fertilized egg travels from the fallopian tube to the uterus
- The fertilized egg implants and grows in the uterus
In women, many factors can affect this process at any stage. Female infertility is caused by one or more of the following factors.
- Ovulation defects
- Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
- Hypothalamic dysfunction
- Premature ovarian failure
- Too much prolactin
Damage to the fallopian tubes (tubal infertility)
Damaged or blocked fallopian tubes prevent sperm from reaching the egg or the fertilized egg from entering the uterus. Causes of damaged or blocked fallopian tubes:
- Uterine and fallopian tube infections are caused by pelvic inflammatory disease, chlamydia, gonorrhea, or other sexually transmitted infections.
- Previous surgery in the abdomen or pelvis, including surgery for ectopic pregnancy, in which the fertilized egg develops by implantation in the fallopian tube instead of the uterus.
- Pelvic tuberculosis, although rare in the United States, is the leading cause of tubal infertility worldwide.
Endometriosis
Endometriosis usually occurs with growing tissue on implants and elsewhere in the uterus. This overgrowth of tissue, and its surgical removal, causes scars, which can block the fallopian tubes and prevent the egg and sperm from joining.
Endometriosis also affects the lining of the uterus, interfering with the placement of the fertilized egg. This condition affects fertility in less direct ways, such as damage to the sperm or egg.
Risk factors for female infertility
Some factors can increase your risk of female infertility, including:
- Age: With increasing age, the quality and quantity of female eggs begin to decline. In the mid-30s, follicular damage is rapid, low-quality and poor-quality eggs are formed. This makes pregnancy difficult and increases the risk of miscarriage.
- Of smoking: In addition to damaging the fallopian tubes and cervix, smoking increases the risk of miscarriage and ectopic pregnancy. It is also believed to prematurely reduce the age of the ovaries and eggs. Stop smoking before starting fertility treatment.
- Weight: Being overweight or significantly underweight affects normal ovulation. Getting a healthy body mass index (BMI) increases the frequency of ovulation and the chance of pregnancy.
- Sexual history: Sexually transmitted infections like chlamydia and gonorrhea can damage the fallopian tubes. Having unprotected sex with multiple partners increases the risk of contracting sexually transmitted infections, which can later lead to reproductive problems.
- Alcohol: Limit alcohol consumption to more than one alcoholic drink a day.
Infertility in women diagnosis
Your doctor may order several tests, including a blood test to check hormone levels and an endometrial biopsy to examine the lining of your uterus. If you are unable to conceive in a reasonable amount of time, seek the help of your doctor for evaluation and treatment of female infertility.
Female infertility tests can include:
- Ovulation test: At home, the over-the-counter ovulation testing kit detects a surge in luteinizing hormone (LH) that occurs before ovulation. A blood test for progesterone, a hormone produced after ovulation, can also document that you are ovulating. The levels of other hormones such as prolactin can also be controlled.
- Hysterosalpingography: During hysterosalpingography (his-tur-o-sal-ping-gorge-rush-fee), X-ray contrast is injected into the uterus and an X-ray is taken to detect abnormalities in the uterine cavity. The test will also determine if there is a leakage of fluid from the uterus and fallopian tubes. If abnormalities are found, you may need further evaluation. In some women, the test can also improve fertility, possibly by breaking out and opening the fallopian tubes.
- Ovarian reserve test: This test helps determine the quality and quantity of eggs available for ovulation. Women at risk of egg supply depletion, including women over the age of 35, can undergo this range of blood and imaging tests.
- Test for other hormones: Other hormonal tests monitor the levels of ovulation hormones, as well as the thyroid and pituitary hormones that regulate reproductive processes.
- Imaging tests: A pelvic ultrasound looks for the disease of the uterus or fallopian tubes. Echo Hysterography, also known as saline infusion ultrasound, is used to see details within the uterus that cannot be seen on a simple ultrasound.
Depending on your situation, your test may be rare:
- Other imaging tests: Depending on your symptoms, your doctor may order a hysteroscopy for the disease of the cervix or fallopian tubes.
- Laparoscopy: This minimally invasive surgery involves making a small incision below the belly button and inserting a thin viewing device to examine the fallopian tubes, ovaries, and uterus. Laparoscopy can detect endometriosis, scarring, obstruction or abnormalities of the fallopian tubes, and problems with the ovaries and uterus.
- Genetic testing: Genetic testing can help determine if there is a genetic defect that causes infertility.
Treatment options for female infertility
If you and your partner are trying to get pregnant and can't, you may want to seek treatment. The type of treatment recommended depends on a variety of factors, including:
- The cause of infertility, if known
- How long are you trying to conceive?
- Your age
- General health for both you and your partner
- Consult your treatment options and your personal preferences and those of your partner.
- Woman
Treatment for female infertility can include surgery, medications, and reproductive assistance, such as ART. Female infertility sometimes requires a variety of treatments.
Although surgery can sometimes be used to treat female infertility, it has now become very rare due to advances in other fertility treatments. Improvement of female infertility through surgery:
- Correcting an abnormally shaped uterus
- Unblocking the fallopian tubes
- Fibroid removal
- Reproductive aids include techniques such as intrauterine pregnancy (IUI) and ART: During IUI, millions of sperm are injected into a woman's uterus near ovulation.
- IVF is a type of ART and the collection of eggs fertilized with human sperm in the laboratory: After fertilization, the embryo is put back in the uterus.
- Medications: Used to treat female infertility act like hormones that are naturally present in the body.
- Drugs: If you have ovulation problems, you may be prescribed medications such as clomiphene citrate (clomid, serophene), gonadotropins (such as Gonal-F, Folistim, Humegan, and Pregnil), or letrozole.
- Gonadotropins induce ovulation when clomid or serophene don't work: These medications can also help your ovaries get pregnant by releasing multiple eggs. Generally, only one egg is released each month.
- Your doctor may prescribe gonadotropin if you have unexplained infertility or when other treatments do not help you conceive.
- Metformin (glucophage): It is another type of medicine that usually helps with ovulation if you have insulin resistance or PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome).
Prevention of female infertility
For women thinking about getting pregnant sooner or later, these tips can help optimize female infertility:
- Maintain normal weight
- Give up smoking
- Avoid alcohol
- Reduce stress
- Limit caffeine