Causes of Infertility Amongst Women

Infertility is a difficult condition for women to deal with. It is not hopeless. Thankfully, women suffering with medical disorders that cause infertility have many treatment options available to them. Understanding the known causes and treatment options available are an important step in determining what you can do, if you have an infertility problem. The next step is determining the proper treatment and what action is needed to for the final step, pregnancy.

Some causes of infertility in women are age, Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, Endometriosis, and medications. As a woman ages, her ovaries produce fewer eggs. Childbearing age is considered to be in a woman's twenties and thirties. After age forty and over, egg growth declines and it becomes more difficult to achieve pregnancy.

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome is an endocrinal female reproduction disorder where cysts cover the ovaries, preventing proper ova growth needed for gestation, due to irregular or absent menstrual cycles. This hormonal disorder can be treated with medications, diet and exercise or with an outpatient surgery for removal of the cysts called a laproscopy. A laproscopy is when a small cut is made in the abdomen or bellybutton (sometimes called "bellybutton surgery") and a camera is inserted to look for cysts on the ovaries. If cysts are visible, the surgeon can remove them with a small laproscopic laser.

Endometriosis is a female reproductive disorder amongst woman where the tissue on the uterine wall grows outside of the uterus, which can cause pain and infertility. Endometriosis is treated with medications also, and may be removed by using a laproscope, as with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. Sometimes women have no knowledge or symptoms of this disorder until they try to conceive.

Prescription medications and the side effects from them, are not always known. Infertility is an "after the fact" side effect for many pharmaceutical drugs. The best solution is to let your doctor know all the medications you are taking, including herbal supplements and vitamins so he can recommend not taking certain ones, if needed or recommended.

In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) is a popular method of fertilization for many couples trying to become pregnant. Ova is removed from the woman, and fertilized in a laboratory dish with the man's sperm. Then it is carefully placed inside the woman's uterus. Hopefully the fertilized egg will grow and a healthy pregnancy, followed by the birth of a healthy newborn baby, will result.

Sources:

http://www.docshop.com/education/fertility/treatments/in-vitro/