Infertility
When you and your partner are trying to conceive, you never expect to encounter difficulties. Yet as much as 10% of the population experiences fertility problems; that's more than two million Americans. However, helping conception isn't as hard as it may seem. There are many things that you can do to increase your chances of becoming pregnant.
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Nevertheless, for many couples, getting pregnant is easier said than done. But what is the difference between having difficulties and being infertile? Infertility is usually defined as the inability to conceive after a year of trying. If you're over 35, though, you need only try for six months without any success before fertility problems can start to be suspected.
There are numerous reasons as to why you or your partner may be infertile. Infertility affects women as much as it affects men and often the reason behind the infertility lies in both partners. Common reasons for female infertility include endometriosis and polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). Male infertility can often be attributed to low sperm counts and blockages in the reproductive system. However, only proper fertility testing can determine just what is causing your troubles.
The field of reproductive technology is quickly expanding everyday. As a result, the number of medical options a couple can take advantage of is constantly growing and the effectiveness of these treatments is always improving. Recent studies have also shown many alternative fertility treatments to be affective as a complimentary form of therapy. In some cases, these therapies are even helpful when used by themselves.
Having troubles conceiving can fill you with many questions. What could be causing my infertility? What can I do to increase my fertility? What infertility treatment options do I have? Who can I talk to about this? This site is dedicated to answering all these questions, plus many more.
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Medical Options
There are many different avenues infertile couples can take if they decide to use medical solutions for their fertility problems. For certain disorders, like endometriosis, surgery is one option. However, when surgery can't help, then fertility drugs are prescribed to help promote ovulation or increase the production of certain hormones. Clomiphene, gonadotropins and bromocriptine are the most commonly used infertility drugs.
Sometimes, no matter how many fertility medications are prescribed, conception will just not occur. In these instances, using a sperm, egg or embryo donor may be an option. Other couples may decide that they would prefer to use a surrogate.
One of the oldest methods still used to help women get pregnant is artificial insemination. However, nowadays it goes by the more medical term intrauterine insemination or IUI. While this simple reproductive technique has helped many couples conceive, in some cases, more advanced methods of conception are required to help bring about a pregnancy.
The term assisted reproductive technologies, or ART, is often heard when people speak of certain fertility treatments. ART encompasses a variety of medical techniques that can be utilized to produce a pregnancy by bringing an egg and sperm together outside of the womb. Treatments that fall under the category of ART include in vitro fertilization (IVF), intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), gamete intrafallopian transfer (GIFT), and zygote intrafallopian transfer (ZIFT).
Whatever type of fertility treatment you decide to pursue, make sure that you and your partner thoroughly discuss all the pros and cons of the treatment so that you can be sure this is the right option for you.
