Infertility occurs when a couple is unable to conceive after engaging in regular unprotected sexual activity for more than 6 months. Either the male partner may be unable to assist in conception, or the woman may be unable to carry a pregnancy to term.
The cause of infertility may be difficult to determine but may include inadequate levels of certain hormones in women and trouble with ovulation in women.
Reasons Behind Infertility
Before we talk about the treatment of female infertility, in fertility centers in Hyderabad, let us first understand the reasons behind infertility, which are as follows:
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Ovulation problems
- PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome)
It causes hormonal irregularities that impair ovulation. Related to obesity and insulin resistance, PCOS causes hirsutism (unusual body hair growth) and acne.
- Dysfunctional Hypothalamus
Luteinizing and follicle-stimulating hormones created by your pituitary glands help stimulate ovulation monthly. Excess mental or physical stress or an excess weight loss or gain may intervene in these hormonal productions, impacting ovulation. Symptoms involve absence or irregular periods.
- Primary ovarian insufficiency/Premature ovarian failure
It generally happens from premature egg loss from the ovary (due to chemotherapy or genetics) or a person’s autoimmune response. If a woman is above 40, her ovary will fail to produce eggs, and thus the estrogen production will fall.
- Excess Prolactin
In hyperprolactinemia, the pituitary gland produces excess prolactin. This decreases estrogen production, causing infertility. It might also occur from medications taken for another condition.
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Tubal infertility
Tubal infertility involves fallopian tube damage or blockage that prevents sperm from reaching your egg to fertilize it. Causes are:
- Pelvic tuberculosis, a globally vital reason for tubal infertility
- Early pelvic or abdominal surgery like an operation for ectopic pregnancy where your fertilized egg implants in a fallopian tube and develops there rather than in your uterus
- A pelvic inflammatory disorder involving infected fallopian tubes and uterus from sexually transmitted infections like gonorrhoea, chlamydia, etc.
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Endometriosis
It happens when tissue implants develop in sites other than your uterus. This additional tissue development and its surgical removal might lead to scarring. This can cause tubal blockage and prevent the union of the sperm and egg. This condition may also impact your uterine lining, obstructing a fertilized egg from implanting. Less-direct impacts include harm to the egg or sperm.
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Uterine/cervical reasons
- When non-cancerous tumours or polyps (myomas or fibroids) form in a woman’s uterus, they either obstruct fallopian tubes or hamper implantation, preventing fertility. However, several women can achieve pregnancy despite having polyps or fibroids.
- Endometriosis inflammation or scarring inside the uterus can also hamper implantation.
- Uterine malformations inherited by birth, like an irregularly shaped uterus, may gain or retain pregnancy issues.
- Cervical narrowing or stenosis may occur due to cervical damage or an inborn cervical malformation.
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Unexplained female infertility
Rarely can one explain the reason behind a woman’s infertility. Many minor causes in both the partners might act in combination for causing unexplained fertility issues. They might rectify on their own gradually. However, instead of waiting, it is advisable to seek female infertility treatment from a highly skilled and experienced infertility specialist as soon as possible.
Female infertility treatment
Many therapies such as hormone therapy, fertility medications, and surgery can substantially increase the chances of becoming pregnant. If fertility drugs like letrozole, metformin, gonadotropins, etc., do not work, the following options can help.
Following are some best treatments for female infertility:
- IUI Insemination: IUI, also known as intrauterine insemination, is a method of placing sperm directly into the uterine cavity bypassing the cervix and getting sperm with higher motility closer to the tubes and ovulated egg.
- In Vitro Fertilization (IVF): In vitro refers to research conducted outside the body. In vitro fertilization (IVF) is a procedure in which eggs are retrieved and fertilized by sperm outside the body in an embryology laboratory. The popularity of IVF has skyrocketed and is a big accomplishment because it allows women who were previously thought to be forever infertile to have successful pregnancies.
- Third-Party Reproduction: This is a broad term for a process in which someone else contributes sperm or eggs, or a woman acts as a gestational surrogate, to assist another person or couple in having a child.
- Surgery: After a thorough history, physical examination, and ultrasound, the doctor may recommend surgery to correct an abnormality. Laparoscopy, hysteroscopy, and abdominal myomectomy (removal of uterine fibroids) are the most common surgical procedures in reproductive medicine.
Conclusion:
The female factor is the leading cause of infertility compared to the male factor, combined factor, and unexplained infertility. On average, the female factor accounts for 50% of infertility problems.
The good news is that most causes of infertility can be avoided or treated at affordable prices and with the advance in medicine, most women can have a child. Infertility can be treated with medicine, surgery, artificial insemination, assisted reproductive technology, etc. Fertility center in Hyderabad provides comprehensive treatment for fertility at very low and affordable IVF cost in Hyderabad.
