Some Common Medical Fertility Treatments

For some couples, they have tried to make all the lifestyle changes they possibly can, and realize that medical intervention is the only viable option for them.  In this case, what are some common fertility treatments for these couples?  What are the side effects, and are they typically successful?

Assisted Reproduction Fertility Treatments

Assisted Reproduction is the phrase used in the medical community to describe medical intervention for couples facing infertility.  Here are some common fertility treatments and how they work:

Intrauterine Insemination (IUI).  This procedure which is also known as artificial insemination is often combined with hormone treatments to boost egg production, and can help couples with low sperm count, unexplained infertility, or cervical mucus problems.  Semen is collected, and then delivered via a catheter inserted through the women’s vagina and cervix to her uterus.

In Vitro Fertilization (IVF). IVF may help those with pelvic or tubal damage, or male infertility.  It is the most commonly used of all the fertility treatments available.  The woman takes drugs to stimulate egg production, which are surgically removed.  Then eggs and sperm (from her partner or a donor) are collected and combined outside the body, and inserted into her body to develop after fertilization takes place.  “In vitro” means “in glass” (that is, in a test tube or laboratory dish).

Sperm Donation. Fertility treatments do also include those necessary when a male partner is not present or does not have viable sperm.  This procedure is performed using sperm from a typically anonymous donor; of course, a sperm donor can be a male friend or associate.

Donated Egg. This can help those whose infertility problems are due to premature menopause or some other disruption of ovulation.

Surrogacy, Traditional and Gestational.  In traditional surrogacy, another woman carries and gives birth to a baby conceived with her egg and your partner’s sperm (through artificial insemination).  In gestational surrogacy, the surrogate carries and gives birth to a baby conceived with your egg and your partner’s sperm, then transferred as an embryo to her womb.

Fertility Treatments Available for You

The proper procedure that is best for you and your partner is one that only you or the two of you together can decide on, of course with your doctor’s help.  Many of these fertility treatments listed are very expensive, so of course your own personal budget will need to be considered.  Additionally, there are some who have religious beliefs or moral opinions about many of these fertility treatments, and of course this is a personal decision as well.  The bottom line is that while so many of these options are becoming more and more common, and safer as well, the final decision will need to be yours.  After all, you are the one who will need to live with the consequences and responsibility of this decision for the rest of your life.  So, speak openly and honestly with your doctor and be sure that you completely understand all of these many choices so as to make the most informed decision possible.

Fertility Treatment

Couples who are dealing with the problem of infertility can often think that they are very alone in their concerns.  Most believe that pregnancy is easy, and may look around at the other couples with their bouncing bundles of joy as proof positive of this fact.  They may also have many friends and family members who announce one day that they are planning on starting a family, and who are seemingly pregnant immediately after.

But believe it or not, infertility is much more common than you might think.  It’s estimated that about 1 in every 10 couples that are attempting to have a baby, have some type of problem with infertility.  Imagine ten other couples that you know who have children, and you can make a safe bet that at least one of them faced some difficulty when it came to conceiving.  And when you think about this on a national scale, 1 in 10 couples means 5 to 6 million couples in the U.S. every year have some difficulty getting pregnant.

But what exactly defines the concept of infertility?  Simply put, this is when a couple is having regular (twice per week on average) unprotected sex and are still not pregnant after a year of trying.

This may be surprising news to some couples, who often assume that a month or so of trying is all that’s needed to signal a problem with infertility.  Not so, say doctors.  Because of the many details that need to align perfectly for a woman to conceive, it can actually take that many times trying before there is any need for concern.

Obviously it’s true that there are some who have a much more difficult time with conception than others; and of course there are many factors that will contribute to this problem.  Some couples seem to be much more fertile than others, and this may very well be the case.  Some men simply have a higher sperm count than average, and of course the more sperm he had, the greater his chance of having one reach a woman’s egg to fertilize it.  Additionally, some women have problems with ovulation and do not release a healthy, viable egg every month, so there may need to be a few months worth of attempts in order for her to conceive.

But while infertility is something that is more common than you might think, it is also a very personal issue.  You should never make the mistake of comparing your abilities to conceive to anyone else’s, even those in your own family.  Again, you may know of a couple who seem to be able to get pregnant just by talking about it, while you and your partner have been trying for weeks and months, but this isn’t necessarily a cause for concern.  Everyone’s body is different, everyone’s reproductive abilities are different as well.  If you are really concerned about whether or not you will need medical intervention or another way of helping you with your supposed infertility, then be sure to speak to your doctor, as only he or she will be able to know for sure.

Fertility Treatment

Infertility is a lot more common than most people think.  Believe it or not, about 1 in 10 couples experiences problems with conception at some point in their attempts.  This may be with their first child, or they may actually have problems conceiving after they’ve already had a child.  Usually the issues they are facing can be pinpointed by a medical doctor, but sometimes not.  This is called unexplained infertility, when their doctors are at a loss to find a reason for why they are having problems conceiving.

When does it become unexplained infertility?

It would be shortsighted to assume that with your first few months of trying to having a baby that you’re infertile, or that the first time your doctor scratched his or her head in confusion that this means you have unexplained infertility.  Medically speaking, a couple are not considered truly infertile until after a year of regular (twice a week on average) unprotected sex has not resulted in a pregnancy.  A year may seem like a long time to someone who wants a baby, but considering all the many details that need to work in harmony for conception, it’s really no wonder that doctors give them this long.

Additionally, there are many common causes for infertility that your doctor will want to check first, such as a woman’s inability to ovulate at all or to ovulate a healthy egg, and a man’s low sperm count.  These are probably the first two things that your doctor will check, but if these tests are negative or inconclusive, it doesn’t mean that you have unexplained infertility.

When you get the diagnosis of unexplained infertility.

For some couples, however, they have been through every test that is available and everything has come back in their favor, and yet, still no pregnancy.  The man may have healthy, active sperm, and the woman may be ovulating a healthy egg regularly, but again, conception is just not happening for them.  This is when the doctors begin to use the phrase unexplained infertility.

For these couples, there is still no reason to abandon hope.  Medical intervention may be necessary, but is usually successful.  If the woman has a healthy uterus that can support a fetus, the doctor may recommend in vitro fertilization, where an egg is extracted from her and fertilized with the man’s sperm in a lab, and then planted in her uterus to grow.  By manipulating the man’s sperm and the woman’s egg in such a way, there is nothing left to chance.  In most cases, this procedure is safe and successful, albeit expensive.

And of course there are other options available for any couple going through unexplained infertility, so again, there is no need to give up hope.  Talk openly and honestly to your doctor about your concerns, and listen carefully to your options.  The decision of course is yours to make, but in the end, you may be able to join other happy couples in welcoming home your new baby after all.

Fertility Treatment