WHAT IS INFERTILITY??
Infertility is defined as a couple’s inability to conceive even after one year of unprotected intercourse during ovulation days. Infertility is perceived as a social problem in our country. Newly wed couples are often forced by families to plan a baby early after marriage and in desperation of not being able to get pregnant after some months only the couple tend to seek medical help. This all definitely causes stress to the couple, adding upon their trouble.
CAUSES OF INFERTILITY
In our society females are often blamed for not being able to get pregnant but that is not true. Let’s see what are causes of infertility and how much these factors can be responsible.
As seen in the chart male and females both are 30% responsible for the infertility. Mixed factors contribute 20% and 20% times the cause is not known to us.
Let’s look upon the causes in detail:
Causes of Female Infertility
Age: As the age increases chances if infertility increases as number of viable eggs decreases.
Tubal factors: it includes blockage of tube due to infection, endometriosis or adhesions. It may be totally or partially blocked.
Uterine factors: it may include structural abnormality in uterus like septate uterus or bicornuate uterus, fibroids in uterus, thin endometrium.
Ovarian factors: the may include some cyst in ovary, anovualtory ovaries due to hormonal problems in body.
Hormonal factors: hormonal imbalance of thyroid, prolactin, LH, FSH and PCOS can cause infertility.
Causes of male infertility is definitely due to poor semen quality which may be due to many factors starting from hormonal, structural defect, obstruction in semen pathway or psychological factors.
DIAGNOSIS OF INFERTILITY
For diagnosing the cause of infertility both partners need to be examined physically and tests need to be done.
Test include:
- Blood tests for hormones.
- Tube patency test known as Hysterosalpingography.
- Follicular study to know whether you are ovulating or not.
- Semen analysis of husband.
As per the reports further steps are taken.
TREATMENT OPTIONS
Treatment of infertility depends on the cause of it. It varies from person to person. It may involve hormonal correction followed by ovulation study. The doctor may initially just advise you few supportive medicines and ask you to plan baby naturally. If not successful then artificial reproductive techniques like (ART) are used.
ART include IUI (Intrauterine insemination) or IVF (in vitro fertilization).
Let me tell you something in brief about these two procedures:
IUI: in this procedure you first have to come to doctor on the day of your ovulation. Your husband is then asked to collect his sperms in laboratory which are processed and then on the same day your husband’s semen is injected in your uterus by per vaginal route. It is less costly. Only limitation of the test is that your fallopian tubes should not be blocked.
IVF: It is a long and tedious procedure which requires many sittings with doctor. In this procedure the female undergoes follicular study after medications to help her ovulate. The female is then taken in Operation Theater and under anesthesia egg retrieval (taking egg out of ovary) is done. Then in a laboratory the egg is fertilized with sperm of husband and incubated to let it grow to 8-16 cell stage. After that female is given medicines to help grow her endometrium thick for easy implantation and once the embryo is 8-16 cell stage it is implanted inside. This procedure may require more than one sitting also.
To brief out, I would like to say that infertility should not be made a taboo. Patience and proper treatment with consultation with your doctor is the key to success.