Watsons Health
Female infertility is a condition that results when a woman attempting to get pregnant with frequent intercourse for not less than a year does not bear any children. Female infertility, male infertility or a mix of the two affect many couples around the world.
Female infertility results from female factors in around one third and male factors in another one third. The reason is either obscure or a combination of male and female factors in the rest of the cases.
Female infertility is often hard to diagnose. There are numerous treatments, which will rely upon the reason for infertility. Numerous infertile couples will proceed to conceive a child without treatment. In attempting to get pregnant for two years, around 95 percent of couples will effectively conceive.
TYPES
There are two types of infertility: primary and secondary.
- Primary female infertility is present in women who have not become pregnant after at least 1 year of having sex without using birth control.
- Secondary female infertility refers to women who have been able to get pregnant at least once, but now is unable.
SYMPTOMS
The main symptom of female infertility is the inability to get pregnant. A menstrual cycle that is too long (35 days or more), too short (under 21 days), or irregular or absent periods can imply that you’re not ovulating. There might be no other signs or symptoms.
DIAGNOSIS
In females up to age 35, natural methods should be used to get pregnant for at least one year before testing or treatment.
If you’re somewhere in the range of 35 and 40, talk about your worries with your doctor following 6 months of trying.
If you’re older than 40, your doctor might need to start testing or treatment immediately.
Your doctor may likewise need to start testing or treatment immediately if you or your partner has known fertility issues, if you have a history of irregular or painful periods, pelvic inflammatory disease, repeated miscarriages, earlier cancer treatment, or endometriosis.
Fertility tests may include the following:
- Ovulation testing in the form of luteinizing hormone (LH) kit and prolactin levels
- Hysterosalpingography, wherein an X-ray contrast is injected into your uterus and an X-ray is taken to detect abnormalities in the uterine cavity
- Ovarian reserve testing to determine the quality and quantity of eggs available for ovulation.
- Other hormone testing such as ovulatory as well as thyroid and pituitary hormones
- Imaging tests such as a pelvic ultrasound
- Laparoscopy to examine your fallopian tubes, ovaries and uterus
- Genetic testing to determine whether there’s a genetic defect that is causing infertility
TREATMENT
Female infertility treatment relies upon the cause, your age, how long you are infertile and individual preferences. Since infertility is a complicated problem, treatment includes physical, psychological and financial commitments.
Though some women require only a couple of treatments to re-establish fertility, it’s conceivable that few distinct treatments might be required.
Treatments can either endeavor to re-establish fertility through medicine or surgery, or help you get pregnant with advanced methods
Fertility drugs may be given such as the following:
- Clomiphene citrate
- Gonadotropins
- Metformin
- Letrozole
- Bromocriptine