Thursday, January 22, 2009

Infertility

Infertility is the inability of a couple to become pregnant after 1 year of unprotected sexual intercourse. Primarily refers to the biological inability of a man or a woman to contribute to conception. There are many biological causes of infertility, some which may be bypassed with medical intervention.

Women who are fertile experience a natural period of fertility before and during ovulation, and they are naturally infertile during the rest of the menstrual cycle, Fertility awareness methods are used to discern when these changes occur by tracking changes in cervical mucus or basal body temperature.

Pregnancy is the result of a complex of events. In order to get pregnant

1.A woman must release an egg from one of her ovaries (ovulation)
2.The egg must go through a fallopian tube toward the uterus (womb)
3.A man’s sperm must join with fertilize the egg along the way.
4.The fertilized egg must attach to the inside of the uterus (implantation)

Infertility is not always a woman’s problem. In only about one-third of cases is infertility due to the woman. In another one third of cases, infertility is due to the man. The remaining cases are caused by a mixture of male and female factors or by unknown factors.

Problems with ovulation account for most cases of infertility in women. Without ovulation, there are no eggs to be fertilized. Some signs that a woman is not ovulating normally include irregular or absent menstrual periods.

Less common causes of fertility problems in women include:

Blocked fallopian tubes due to pelvic inflammatory disease, endometriosis, or surgery for an ectopic pregnancy.
Physical problems with the uterus
Uterine fibroids.
Many things can affect a woman’s ability to have a baby. These include
Age
Stress
Poor diet
Athletic training
Being over weight orunder weight
Tobacco smoking
Alcohol
Sexually transmitted disease
Health problems that cause hormonal changes

Most healthy women under the age of 30 should not worry about infertility unless they have been trying to get pregnant for at least a year. At this point, women should talk to their doctors about a fertility evaluation. Men should also talk to their doctors if this much time has passed. In some cases, women should talk to their doctors sooner. Women in their 30s who've been trying to get pregnant for six months should speak to their doctors as soon as possible. A woman's chances of having a baby decrease rapidly every year after the age of 30. So getting a complete and timely fertility evaluation is especially important.

Some health issues also increase the risk of fertility problems. So women with the following issues should speak to their doctors as soon as possible:

Irregular menstrual periods
Very painful Periods
Endometriosis
Pelvic inflammatory disease
More than one miscarriage

It's always a good idea to talk to a doctor before you start trying to get pregnant. Doctors can help you prepare your body for a healthy baby. They can also answer questions on fertility and give tips on conceiving.

Sometimes doctors can find the cause of couple’s infertility by doing a complete fertility evaluation. This process usually begins with physical exams and health and sexual histories. If there are no obvious problems, like poorly timed intercourse or absence of ovulation, test will be needed.

For a man, doctors usually begin by testing his semen. They look at the number, shape, and movement of the sperm. Sometimes doctors also suggest testing the level of a man's hormones.
Doctors can also check if a woman is ovulating by doing blood tests and an ultrasound of the ovaries. If the woman is ovulating normally, more tests are not needed.

Some common tests of fertility in women include:

Hysterosalpingography: In this test, doctors use x-rays to check for physical problems of the uterus and fallopian tubes.
Laparoscopy: This test can help you to find out endometriosis.

Infertility affects about 6.1 million people in the United States; about 10% of men and women of reproductive age. Infertility affects men and woman equally.

Most fertility cases 85-90% are treated with medication or surgery. Improvements in fertility treatment have made it possible for many women whose male partner is infertile to become pregnant. These new and advanced technologies include in vitro fertilization (IVF), intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) and other similar procedure.
If you want to know more about Infertility logon to http://www.logmoney.com/child