Endometriosis and Fertility Treatments: Will a Fertility Treatment Really Help?

All women with endometriosis have likely asked themselves, "will I be able to get pregnant?" It was certainly a concern of mine. Having this condition can certainly have a negative impact on your fertility. It has been shown through various studies that endometriosis is found in approximately 21 to 44 percent of infertile women, according to the National Women's Health Resource Center. It is important to note, however, that endometriosis does not automatically mean that you will never get pregnant. You can and if it does not happen naturally, you can most likely use fertility treatments to help you conceive a child.

Link Between Endometriosis and Fertility Problems

There could be, but it is not definitive at this point. One theory suggests that the inflammation related to the condition could cause fertility problems. Partly, a chemical known as cytokines cause inflammation. The immune system floods the body with them when it senses a problem that needs to be fixed (such as an illness, injury or foreign invader). These cytokines may affect how healthy your eggs are and if your eggs are not healthy, regardless of healthy sperm fertilizing them, you are not likely to get pregnant. At this time there are some studies being done to see if any anti-inflammatory treatments work to treat endometriosis and what the potential benefits are.

Endometriosis and Fertility Treatments

I know these treatments are not easy to go through and they take time, but they are often a good option if you cannot get pregnant naturally due to endometriosis and are otherwise in good health. However, the success rate for IVF in endometriosis patients is far lower than it is in women who do not have endometriosis, so you have to keep this in mind. IVF is not a guaranteed pregnancy ever, but especially if you have endometriosis. If you have tried IVF and were not successful, you can of course, try again. However, there are other fertility treatments as well that you can discuss with your doctor and discuss the possible success rates and procedures and compare them all and determine what is best for you.

Other Ways to Increase the Chances of Pregnancy

Always start early if you really want to have a baby, or two or three. You have a better chance at getting pregnant during your 20s than you do as you age when you have this condition. You also want to keep your body in the best shape possible. This means you want to eat healthy, exercise, not smoke, stay at a healthy weight and keep up with all medical care and screenings, such as annual physicals and Pap smears.

Resources

National Women's Health Resource Center: Endometriosis and Pregnancy