Couples who are unable to conceive a child often feel confused and alone. However, the Centers for Disease Control reports that 7.3 million women and their mates seek help from an infertility specialist. Fortunately, it is estimated that 85% of these cases can be cured using infertility treatment options, which have improved dramatically over the years. There is always a certain risk involved, whether a woman takes fertility drugs or requires surgery, and there are no guarantees for success. Although, depending on the type of infertility problem, there are generally many options for couples who wish to conceive.
The Society of Assisted Reproductive Technology says about 12% of women seeking treatment for infertility have depleted ovarian reserves. Medications like Clomid, Serophene and Milophene are usually the first line of action to stimulate the ovaries to release more eggs and thereby increase the chances of becoming pregnant. Sometimes a doctor will also prescribe Gonadotropins, which have less immediate side effects, but are also more expensive, more likely to result in twins and include a higher risk of ovarian hyper-stimulation syndrome. If the woman is one of the 6% suffering from ovulatory dysfunction due to poly-cystic ovary syndrome, then she may take Metformin along with her Clomiphene.
Unfortunately, pill-based infertility options do not always work. The next step is getting a hormone shot.
Additionally, 9% of women suffer from blocked or damaged fallopian tubes affecting their fertility. In this case, infertility treatment usually requires surgery, particularly if the blockage is only slight. Following surgery, 20-60% of women have successful pregnancies. However, if there is a more severe blockage, the doctor may recommend skipping tubal surgery and going right for in vitro fertilization instead. IVF is the first recourse for women over 34, regardless of any blockages, because tubal surgery and natural conception may take up too much time, which becomes vitally important the older a woman gets.
With the in vitro fertilization infertility treatment, the man’s sperm and the woman’s egg are mixed in a laboratory and the fertilized embryos are implanted into the uterus, where the baby can then develop. One problem with IVF is that it significantly increases the odds of having twins, with 1 out of every 3 women having two babies. Some women even have triplets, quadruplets or even more children, although it’s not as common as twin births. For some, this infertility clinic consequence might be a blessing if they prefer to get all their childbearing done in one shot, however. IVF can be physically taxing on a woman, since it requires many blood tests, daily shots (some of which are painful) and frequent trips to the doctor. The good news is that 1 out of every 3 women does successfully become impregnated through this infertility procedure.
Kim has written extensively on health and beauty issues of interest to women. If you enjoyed this article, you might be interested in her recent posts on surgery for stretch marks and cosmetic surgery for stretch marks.