If you’ve had regular, unprotected sex for more than a year without conceiving (or six months if you’re older than 35), you need to see a doctor. More than half of couples with fertility issues eventually become pregnant after treatment . About a third of fertility problems are caused by female fertility problem, another one-third due to male fertility problems  and the rest involves both partners or unexplained causes.

Common causes of fertility problems

Ovulation problems : This occurs when eggs dont mature in the ovary or when ovaries fail to release a mature egg. This is sometimes called premature ovarian failure. This condition is characterized by the following

• absent period
• infrequent period
• unusually light  or heavy mental period
• lack of premenstrual symptoms such as bloating and tenderness of the breast

This condition may be resolves by managing body weight, taking fertility medications  with or without artificial insemination and in vitro fertilization.

Endometriosis : This is when tissue which normally occurs in the lining of the uterus grows outside the uterus usually in the abdomen or pelvis. Some women are asymptomatic .Others  however experience the following :

• painful intercourse
• heavy bleeding
• unusual spotting
• general pelvic pain

Surgery can be done to remove the endometrial tissue or open blocked fallopian tubes. Other treatment options include fertility drugs (with or without artificial insemination), and IVF.

Poor egg quality : The quality and number of eggs naturally declines significantly after age 35. Even with fertility treatment , the egg quality and number still declines. This issue can be resolved using fertility drugs, IVF using your own eggs, IVF with donor eggs and embryo.

Polycystic ovarian syndrome : This is  a condition in which small follicles in the ovaries don’t develop into the larger, mature follicles that release eggs. This condition is also characterized by hormonal imbalance as well as irregular ovulation pattern. Symptoms  you may experience include excess hair growth, irregular periods , acne and obesity.

Some  of the treatment options for this condition include :

• life style changes like diet and exercise
• fertility drug clomiphene citrate
• injected fertility drugs
• ovarian drilling , a surgical procedure that can trigger ovulation
• IVF

In women with glucose intolerance, the diabetes drug metformin (Glucophage) can also help restore regular ovulation.

Tubal problems : Damaged or blocked fallopian tubes can prevent sperms from getting to your eggs and also prevent fertilized eggs from getting to the uterus. Some of the leading causes of tubal problems include the following :

• pelvic inflammatory disease
• sexually transmitted diseases such as chlamydia
• previous sterilization surgery

This problem can be resolved with surgery to open the tubes. If tubes are too damaged to repair or surgery fails, they may be removed before having an IVF to remove your chances of getting pregnant.

Unexplained fertility problems : Sometimes there is no obvious reason for your fertility problem. This is known as unexplained fertility problems. Some experts believe this may be due to lifestyle  factors such as being overweight or underweight , smoking, alcohol or  drinking too much caffeine. Others also believe it  may be due the way the reproductive system works that is contributing to the issue such as sperm function , follicle development or the fertilization process.

In this case , fertility drugs (with or without artificial insemination) or IVF may be used for treatment.

 
Content Sources