Who is infertile

Medical and surgical therapies are usually managed by an urologist who specializes in infertility. A reproductive endocrinologist may offer intrauterine inseminations IUIs or in vitro fertilization IVF to help overcome male factor infertility.

Some common medicines used to treat infertility in women include:. Department of Health and Human Services. Women who are pregnant with multiple fetuses may have more problems during pregnancy. Multiple fetuses have a higher risk of being born prematurely too early. Premature babies are at a higher risk of health and developmental problems.

Intrauterine insemination IUI is an infertility treatment that is often called artificial insemination. Sometimes the woman is also treated with medicines that stimulate ovulation before IUI. Assisted Reproductive Technology ART includes all fertility treatments in which either eggs or embryos are handled outside of the body. Success rates vary and depend on many factors, including the clinic performing the procedure, the infertility diagnosis, and the age of the woman undergoing the procedure.

ART can be expensive and time-consuming, but it has allowed many couples to have children that otherwise would not have been conceived. The most common complication of ART is a multiple pregnancy.

This is a problem that can be prevented or minimized by limiting the number of embryos that are transferred back to the uterus. For example, transfer of a single embryo, rather than multiple embryos, greatly reduces the chances of a multiple pregnancy and its risks such as preterm birth.

ART procedures sometimes involve the use of donor eggs eggs from another woman , donor sperm, or donated embryos. Donor eggs are sometimes used for women who cannot produce eggs. Also, donor eggs or donor sperm are sometimes used when the woman or man has a genetic disease that can be passed on to the baby. An infertile woman or couple may also use donor embryos. These are embryos that were either created by couples in infertility treatment or were created from donor sperm and donor eggs.

The donated embryo is transferred to the uterus. The child will not be genetically related to either parent. Women with ovaries but no uterus may be able to use a gestational carrier.

In this case, a woman uses her own egg. Preimplantation genetic testing is a procedure used to identify genetic disorders or chromosomal abnormalities in embryos created during an IVF cycle.

One or more cells are biopsied from each embryo and sent for testing. These procedures used to be referred to as preimplantation genetic screening PGS and preimplantation genetic diagnosis PGD. Skip directly to site content Skip directly to page options Skip directly to A-Z link.

Reproductive Health. Section Navigation. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Syndicate. Infertility FAQs. Minus Related Pages. Open All Close All. What is infertility? Is infertility a common problem?

Is infertility just a woman's problem? What causes infertility in men? The heat may affect the number or shape of the sperm. Trauma to the testes may affect sperm production and result in lower number of sperm. Unhealthy habits such as heavy alcohol use, smoking, anabolic steroid use, and illicit drug use. Use of certain medications and supplements. Cancer treatment involving the use of certain types of chemotherapy, radiation, or surgery to remove one or both testicles Medical conditions such as diabetes, cystic fibrosis, certain types of autoimmune disorders, and certain types of infections may cause testicular failure.

Hormonal disorders Improper function of the hypothalamus or pituitary glands. The hypothalamus and pituitary glands in the brain produce hormones that maintain normal testicular function. Production of too much prolactin, a hormone made by the pituitary gland often due to the presence of a benign pituitary gland tumor , or other conditions that damage or impair the function of the hypothalamus or the pituitary gland may result in low or no sperm production.

Although advanced age plays a much more important role in predicting female infertility, couples in which the male partner is 40 years old or older are more likely to report difficulty conceiving. Being overweight or obese. Excessive alcohol use. Use of marijuana. Exposure to testosterone. This may occur when a doctor prescribes testosterone injections, implants, or topical gel for low testosterone, or when a man takes testosterone or similar medications illicitly for the purposes of increasing their muscle mass.

Exposure to radiation. Frequent exposure of the testes to high temperatures, such as that which may occur in men confined to a wheelchair, or through frequent sauna or hot tub use. Exposure to certain medications such as flutamide, cyproterone, bicalutamide, spironolactone, ketoconazole, or cimetidine. Exposure to environmental toxins including exposure to pesticides, lead, cadmium, or mercury.

What causes infertility in women? Movement of the sperm. This may be caused by the shape of the sperm. Sometimes injuries or other damage to the reproductive system block the sperm. What increases a man's risk of infertility? Some things that may reduce the health or number of sperm include: Heavy alcohol use Drugs Smoking cigarettes Age Environmental toxins, including pesticides and lead Health problems such as mumps, serious conditions like kidney disease, or hormone problems Medicines Radiation treatment and chemotherapy for cancer.

What causes infertility in women? Less common causes of fertility problems in women include: Blocked fallopian tubes due to pelvic inflammatory disease , endometriosis , or surgery for an ectopic pregnancy Physical problems with the uterus Uterine fibroids , which are non-cancerous clumps of tissue and muscle on the walls of the uterus. What things increase a woman's risk of infertility? Many things can change a woman's ability to have a baby.

These include: Age Smoking Excess alcohol use Stress Poor diet Athletic training Being overweight or underweight Sexually transmitted infections STIs Health problems that cause hormonal changes, such as polycystic ovarian syndrome and primary ovarian insufficiency.

How does age affect a woman's ability to have children? Aging decreases a woman's chances of having a baby in the following ways: Her ovaries become less able to release eggs She has a smaller number of eggs left Her eggs are not as healthy She is more likely to have health conditions that can cause fertility problems She is more likely to have a miscarriage.

How long should women try to get pregnant before calling their doctors? So, women should talk to their doctors if they have: Irregular periods or no menstrual periods Very painful periods Endometriosis Pelvic inflammatory disease More than one miscarriage It is a good idea for any woman to talk to a doctor before trying to get pregnant.

How will doctors find out if a woman and her partner have fertility problems? A woman can track her ovulation at home by: Writing down changes in her morning body temperature for several months Writing down how her cervical mucus looks for several months Using a home ovulation test kit available at drug or grocery stores Doctors can also check ovulation with blood tests.

Doctors inject a special dye into the uterus through the vagina. This dye shows up in the x-ray. Doctors can then watch to see if the dye moves freely through the uterus and fallopian tubes. This can help them find physical blocks that may be causing infertility. Blocks in the system can keep the egg from moving from the fallopian tube to the uterus. A block could also keep the sperm from reaching the egg.

Laparoscopy lap-uh-ROS-kuh-pee : A minor surgery to see inside the abdomen. The doctor does this with a small tool with a light called a laparoscope LAP-uh-roh-skohp. She or he makes a small cut in the lower abdomen and inserts the laparoscope. With the laparoscope, the doctor can check the ovaries, fallopian tubes, and uterus for disease and physical problems. Doctors can usually find scarring and endometriosis by laparoscopy. How do doctors treat infertility? Doctors recommend specific treatments for infertility based on: Test results How long the couple has been trying to get pregnant The age of both the man and woman The overall health of the partners Preference of the partners Doctors often treat infertility in men in the following ways: Sexual problems: Doctors can help men deal with impotence or premature ejaculation.

Too few sperm: Sometimes surgery can correct the cause of the problem. In other cases, doctors surgically remove sperm directly from the male reproductive tract. Antibiotics can also be used to clear up infections affecting sperm count. Sperm movement: Sometimes semen has no sperm because of a block in the man's system. In some cases, surgery can correct the problem.

In women, some physical problems can also be corrected with surgery. What medicines are used to treat infertility in women? Some common medicines used to treat infertility in women include: Clomiphene citrate Clomid : This medicine causes ovulation by acting on the pituitary gland.

It is often used in women who have polycystic ovary syndrome PCOS or other problems with ovulation. This medicine is taken by mouth. Human menopausal gonadotropin or hMG Repronex, Pergonal : This medicine is often used for women who don't ovulate due to problems with their pituitary gland.

It is an injected medicine. It causes the ovaries to begin the process of ovulation. These medicines are usually injected. Gonadotropin-releasing hormone Gn-RH analog: These medicines are often used for women who don't ovulate regularly each month.

Women who ovulate before the egg is ready can also use these medicines. Gn-RH analogs act on the pituitary gland to change when the body ovulates. These medicines are usually injected or given with a nasal spray. This drug helps lower the high levels of male hormones in women with these conditions.

This helps the body to ovulate. Sometimes clomiphene citrate or FSH is combined with metformin. This medicine is usually taken by mouth.

Bromocriptine Parlodel : This medicine is used for women with ovulation problems due to high levels of prolactin. Prolactin is a hormone that causes milk production. What is intrauterine insemination IUI? IUI is often used to treat: Mild male factor infertility Women who have problems with their cervical mucus Couples with unexplained infertility.

What is assisted reproductive technology ART? How often is assisted reproductive technology ART successful? According to a CDC report on ART , the average percentage of ART cycles that led to a live birth were: 39 percent in women under the age of 35 30 percent in women aged 21 percent in women aged 11 percent in women aged ART can be expensive and time-consuming. What are the different types of assisted reproductive technology ART?

It is often used when a woman's fallopian tubes are blocked or when a man produces too few sperm. Doctors treat the woman with a drug that causes the ovaries to produce multiple eggs. Once mature, the eggs are removed from the woman.

They are put in a dish in the lab along with the man's sperm for fertilization. After 3 to 5 days, healthy embryos are implanted in the woman's uterus.

Fertilization occurs in the laboratory. However, for women aged 35 and older, inability to conceive after 6 months is generally considered infertility. This makes it one of the most common diseases for people between the ages of 20 and In addition, the longer a woman tries to get pregnant without conceiving, the lower are her chances to get pregnant without medical treatment.

This happens more quickly as the woman gets older. Problems like polycystic ovary syndrome PCOS , thyroid disease, and other hormonal disorders can affect ovulation and lead to infertility. Women who are overweight or underweight are more likely to have problems with ovulation than women of normal body weight.

These women might want to see a doctor who specializes in fertility reproductive endocrinologist in the first year of trying to get pregnant. Fallopian tubes are the tubes attached to the uterus where the sperm and egg usually meet.

Blocked or damaged tubes can cause infertility or ectopic pregnancy pregnancy outside the uterus.