Infertility Problems: Common Causes of Infertility in Women
Recent studies show that about 10 percent of reproductive-age couples in the United State have the difficulty in getting pregnant. About 30 percent of infertility cases are due to problems in the woman, 30 percent to problems in the man, and the rest are blamed to unexplained causes or to multiply factors involving both partners. If you and your partner are having regular, unprotected sex for more than a year (or six months if you are above the age of 35), better see a doctor and have yourselves check for possible infertility problems. There is no need to panic because almost 90 percent of couples with infertility problems can be successfully treated.
Below are some of the most common causes of infertility and the corresponding treatments. However, remember that success rates may vary from case to case, since one couple can have more than one problem.
Endometriosis
Endometriosis is a condition where the tissue found in the uterine lining (referred to as the endometrial tissue) grows outside the uterus of the woman, usually in the abdominal-pelvic area.
Possible symptoms are having painful menstrual periods or intercourse and a general pelvic pain. However, there are some women with endometriosis who do not show any symptoms at all.
This condition can be treated using fertility drugs with artificial insemination. It can also be addressed through surgery to remove the abnormal tissues.
Ovulation Problems
An ovulation problem is one of the most common infertility problems among couples. It is any condition (most of the time, hormonal) that prevents the release of a mature egg from the woman’s ovaries. Women with this condition usually have infrequent menstrual periods, sometimes even none at all. Also, during periods, an abnormally light or heavy bleeding is experienced.
Ovulation problems can be treated by taking in fertility drugs and in vitro fertilization.
About 79 to 90 percent of couples ovulate successfully with treatment and 20 to 60 percent among those get pregnant.
Poor Egg Quality
Another common infertility problem that plagues a lot of women is having poor quality egg cells. If the eggs are damaged or have chromosomal abnormalities, they cannot sustain a pregnancy. This is common among older women since the quality of the egg cells declines significantly with age.
Women who have egg quality problems go for in vitro fertilization using donor eggs or embryos. But since there is only about 30 to 50 percent chance of having a baby per IVF cycle, some couples opt for adoption.
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome
PCOS is a condition in which small follicles in the ovaries do not develop into larger, mature follicles. It is usually characterized by hormone imbalances and unpredictable ovulation patterns. Women who have PCOS have irregular periods, excessive hair growth, and acne and are usually obese. PCOS can be treated through lifestyle modifications and fertility drugs.
