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Infertility
Can infertility be reversed?
Primary infertility describes couples who have never been able to become pregnant after at least one (1) year of unprotected intercourse.
Secondary infertility describes couples who have been pregnant at least once, but have not been able to become pregnant again.
The physical symptom of infertility is the inability to become pregnant. Experiencing infertility can bring on a range of painful emotions in one or both members of the couple. In general, having at least one child already tends to soften these painful emotions.
Increase your chance of becoming pregnant each month by having sexual intercourse at least every 3 days in the weeks leading up to and through the expected time of ovulation. Ovulation occurs about 2 weeks before the next period starts. So, if you get your period every 28 days, you should have sexual intercourse at least every 3 days between the 7th and 18th day after you get your period.
Treatment depends on the cause of infertility. It may involve:
 Education and counseling
Medical procedures such as intrauterine insemination (IUI) and in vitro fertilization (IVF)
Medicines to treat infections and clotting disorders, or promote ovulationIt is important to recognize and discuss the emotional impact that infertility has on you and your partner, and to seek medical advice from your health care provider.
The causes of infertility include a wide range of both physical and emotional factors. A couple's infertility may be due to female factors, male factors, or both:
Female infertility may be due to:
Problems with a fertilized egg or embryo being able to survive once it is attached to the lining of the uterus
Problems with the eggs being able to attach to the lining of the uterus
Problems with the eggs being able to move from the ovary to the uterus
Problems with the ovaries producing eggs
Female infertility may be caused by:
Autoimmune disorders, such as antiphospholipid syndrome (APS)
Clotting disorders
Defects of the uterus and cervix (myomas or fibroids, polyps, birth defects)
Excessive exercising, eating disorders, or poor nutrition
Exposure to certain medications or toxins
Heavy use of alcohol
Hormone imbalance or deficiencies
Long-term (chronic) disease, such as diabetes
Obesity
Ovarian cysts and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
Pelvic infection or pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)
Scarring from sexually transmitted disease or endometriosis
Tumor
Male infertility may be due to:
A decrease in the number of sperm
Sperm being blocked from being released
Sperm that do not work properly
Male infertility can be caused by:
Environmental pollutants
Exposure to high heat for prolonged periods
Genetic abnormalities
Heavy use of alcohol, marijuana, or cocaine
Hormone deficiency or taking too much of a hormone
Impotence
Infections of the testes or epididymis
Older age
Previous chemotherapy
Previous scarring due to infection (including sexually transmitted diseases), trauma, or surgery
Radiation exposure
Retrograde ejaculation
Smoking
Surgery or trauma
Use of prescription drugs, such as cimetidine, spironolactone, and nitrofurantoin
In healthy couples both under age 30, having sex regularly, the chance of getting pregnant is only 25 - 30% per month. A woman's peak fertility occurs in her early 20s. As a woman ages beyond 35 (and especially after age 40), the likelihood of getting pregnant drops to less than 10% per month.
When to seek help for infertility depends on your age. For women under age 30, it is generally recommended to try to conceive for at least a year before seeking testing.
A complete medical history and physical examination of both partners is essential.
Tests may include:
For women:
Blood hormone levels
Cervical mucus to detect ovulation
Hysterosalpingography (HSG)
Pelvic ultrasound
Laparoscopy (especially if endometriosis is suspected)
Luteinizing hormone urine test (ovulation predictor kit)
Pelvic exam
Progestin challenge
Serum progesterone
Temperature first thing in the morning to check for ovulation (basal body temperature charting)
For men:
Semen analysis
Testicular biopsy (rarely done)
Prognosis
A cause can be determined for about 80 - 85% of infertile couples.
Getting the right therapy (not including advanced techniques such as in vitro fertilization) allows pregnancy to occur in 50 - 60% of couples who were infertile.
Without any treatment, 15 - 20% of couples diagnosed as infertile will eventually become pregnant.
Prevention
Because sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) often cause infertility, practicing safer sex behaviors may minimize the risk. Gonorrhea and chlamydia are the two most common causes of STD-related infertility.
STDs often don't have symptoms at first, until PID or salpingitis develops. These conditions scar the fallopian tubes and lead to decreased fertility, infertility, or an increased risk of ectopic pregnancy.
Getting a mumps vaccine in men has been shown to prevent mumps and its complication, orchitis. The vaccine prevents mumps-related sterility.
Some forms of birth control, such as the intrauterine device (IUD), carry a risk for pelvic infection, especially in women with more than one sex partner and when sexually transmitted diseases occur.
Maintain a healthy diet, weight, and lifestyle to optimize your chances for getting pregnant and having a healthy pregnancy.Remember to take either prenatal or multivitamins containing folate while you are trying to become pregnant to decrease your risk for miscarriage and fetal abnormalities.
Complications
Although infertility itself does not cause physical illness, it can have a major emotional impact on the couples and individuals it affects.
Couples may have problems with their marriage. Individuals may experience depression and anxiety.
Google Health
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