Causes of Infertility in Females
At Fertility Specialists of Texas, Jerald Goldstein, M.D., and his staff feel privileged to help patients achieve their dreams.This section reviews the most common causes of infertility
Age and Infertility
If you are like most women, you have spent the early portion of your life trying not to get pregnant, and then when you are ready to conceive, age may be an issue. Women are born with all the eggs will ever have, and the egg quality begins to deteriorate with age, making it more difficult to conceive. Hormonal testing to evaluate ovarian function can be helpful in the diagnosis and treatment of age-related fertility issues. This involves blood testing which is done early in the diagnostic process.
Unexplained Infertility
Often times you can have a complete fertility evaluation and all the test come back normal. This is very frustrating, but does not mean that there is not a problem. It simply means that in 2010, we are not able to find a specific issue that is keeping you from getting pregnant. By increasing the number of eggs available at the time of ovulation, we are able to increase the success rate of pregnancy occurring.
Male Factor Infertility
Today's couples experiencing infertility should both be evaluated. We should not underestimate problems that can occur in the male. The initial test for a male is a semen analysis which is performed in our lab. A semen analysis allows determination of the volume as well as the number of sperm present, their ability to swim, and morphology or shape of the sperm. All of these factors are important in preventing a missed opportunity for a cause of infertility and will allow the couple to develop the most timely and cost efficient pathway to start or expand a family.
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) may well be the most common endocrine disorder affecting women of reproductive age. For some women, the disorder is easy to identify, with the classic signs of irregular menses, increased facial hair growth and infertility. For others, the signs are more subtle, making the diagnosis difficult.
Endometriosis
One of the most common symptoms of endometriosis is pain, mostly in the abdomen, lower back, and pelvic areas. The amount of pain a woman feels is not linked to how much endometriosis she has. Some women have no pain even though their endometriosis is extensive, meaning that the affected areas are large, or that there is scarring. Some women, on the other hand, have severe pain even though they have only a few small areas of endometriosis
Hydrosalpinx
Any patient, who has had a history of tubal disease, symptomatic or just on testing, should be sure that there are no residual blocked fallopian tubes that fill up with fluid and are called a hydrosalpinx. If a hydrosalpinx is present, your chances of success with IVF will be decreased by 50 percent. It is possible to clip or remove one or two hydrosalpinges thereby reversing this 50 percent decrease completely.
