An overview

Infertility is said to happen when one is not able to get pregnant

after a year of trying. Or if a woman is 35 years old or older,

then six months.

Women who do or can get pregnant but find it difficult to stay

pregnant may also be infertile.

Infertility can happen if there are

problems with any of the steps during the

process of getting pregnant which can be

taken care of with infertility treatment.

Most cases of female infertility are caused due to problems with ovulation. Without ovulation, there are no eggs being fertilized. Some signs include irregular or absent menstrual periods. These problems are often caused by polycystic ovarian syndrome also referred to as PCOS. It is a hormone imbalance problem that interferes with normal ovulation.

PCOS is the most common cause of female infertility. Primary ovarian insufficiency or POI is another

cause of ovulation problems and occurs when a woman's ovaries stop working normally before she reaches

40. It is to be noted that POI is not the

same as early menopause.

However, infertility is not only a woman's problem. Both men and women

can have problems that cause infertility. Infertility in men is most often

caused by varicocele, a problem that occurs when the veins on a man's

testicle(s) are too large. This heats the testicle which in turn affects the

number or shape of the sperm. Sometimes a man is born with such problems

that may affect his sperm. Other times these problems start later in life due to

illness or injury. For example, cystic fibrosis often causes infertility in men.

Heavy use of alcohol, usage of drugs,

environmental toxin like pesticides and

lead, smoking cigarettes, age, health

problems such as mumps, serious

conditions like kidney disease, or

hormone problems, radiation treatment

and chemotherapy for cancer are some of

the factors that may reduce the health or

number of sperm in men.

Fortunately, today, there are many safe and effective treatments for

overcoming infertility. These infertility treatments significantly improve the

chances of becoming pregnant. There are specific treatments for infertility

recommended by doctors on the basis of test results, the time period the

couple has been trying to get pregnant for, the age of the man and woman

both, the overall health of the man and woman and the preference of the

partners.

Infertility treatment can be taken in the

form of intrauterine insemination (IUI)

which involves sperm being placed

into the womb through a fine plastic

tube. The collected sperm is washed in

a fluid and passed through a tube that

enters the cervix and extends into the

womb. This is to increase the chance of

conception.

Some women may experience temporary cramps, similar to

period cramps, after or during IUI, but other than that, the

procedure should be painless.

There is also in-vitro fertilization (IVF) in which the

fertilization of the egg occurs outside the body. The woman

takes fertility medication so that her ovaries can produce more

eggs than normal. These eggs

are then removed from her

ovaries, fertilized with sperm

in a laboratory dish and then

put back inside the woman's

body. Help can also be taken

from a donor in case the man

has infertility problem.