Infertility is defined by World Health Organization (WHO) as the inability to conceive after one year of unprotected, well-timed intercourse, or the inability to carry a pregnancy to term.
The Infertility definition is reduced to six months for:
* Women over 35
* Women with a history of painful periods, irregular cycles, pelvic inflammatory disease and miscarriages
* Couples who know that the male partner has a low sperm count
At least 10% of couples worldwide are unable to conceive a child and a further 10 - 25% experience secondary infertility i.e. are unable to conceive a second or subsequent child. If you've been trying to have a baby for a year with no success, then it's probably time to learn more about infertility.
In the , it's estimated that more than 6 million people--about 10% of couples of reproductive age--have been diagnosed with infertility. Roughly one-third of infertility cases can be attributed to male factors, about one-third to factors that affect women, and the final third by a combination of factors related to both partners. For normal fertile couples trying to conceive, the chance of succeeding in any given month is about 20 percent.
Infertility affects men and women almost equally. In both sexes, fertility declines with age, but age-related fertility problems are far more likely in women. In men, fertility declines after age 50.
In women, fertility starts to decline beginning around age30:
* 4% of women have difficulty conceiving between the age of 15 to 24
* 13% of women have difficulty conceiving between the age of 24 to 34
* 34 % of women have difficulty conceiving by age 40
* 87 % of women are infertile by age 45
In the USA, about 1 in 5 women (20 %) have their first child after age 35. A woman age 35 has one half the chance of having a successful pregnancy compared with a woman age 25.
Although the rate at which infertility occurs hasn't changed over the past 35 years, many more couples are diagnosed with infertility today. About 25% of women age 15 to 45 will have some difficulty becoming pregnant at some point in their lives. Still, according to the U.S. National Survey of Family Growth, most women (57%) having difficulty becoming pregnant have not gotten treatment for it.
Understanding Your Treatment Options
Normally treatment options fall into five categories. Learn more about your treatment options and techniques for achieving pregnancy by exploring the links below:
Fertility Medications
There are a variety of medications and hormonal therapies used to treat infertility. These therapies can replace or enhance your hormones and restore your ability to conceive, and they are often used in conjunction with other treatments outlined below.
Surgery
Surgery is a treatment option for both male and female infertility. Generally surgery is used to correct a structural problem. Surgery often results in the return of normal fertility function.
Artificial Insemination
Intrauterine insemination (IUI) is most commonly referred to as artificial insemination. This is a procedure where the woman is injected with carefully prepared sperm from the husband or a donor. IUI is often performed in conjunction with ovulation stimulating medications. IUI is used to treat unexplained infertility, minimal male factor infertility of for women with cervical mucus problems.
Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART)
Assisted Reproductive Technology is defined by the CDC as a procedure in which a woman's ovaries are stimulated, her eggs surgically removed, combined with sperm and returned to a woman's body. IVF is the most widely used of the ART procedures. See an overview below.
Micromanipulation Techniques
These techniques are often used as part of ART to achieve or improve fertilization and implantation rates. These techniques may also be used to remove a cell from a developing embryo for assessment of the DNA.
IVF Overview
Once a decision has been made to proceed with in vitro fertilization (IVF) and testing is complete, you are ready to commence treatment. The cycle commences with stimulation of the ovaries using injectable fertility medications. When the follicles reach an optimum size, an injection of hCG is given to trigger the final maturation of eggs. The eggs are retrieved through the vagina with ultrasound using a light anesthetic. Once the eggs are identified they are fertilized in the laboratory. Once the eggs are fertilized they are carefully nurtured in the laboratory and they become embryos which are ready for transfer into the uterus. Approximately ten days after embryo transfer, the first blood pregnancy test is performed and after another two weeks the first ultrasound will confirm the pregnancy.
To help you better understand IVF procedure and other Assisted Reproductive Technologies, you may read the Guide for ART issued by the American Society For Reproductive Medicine.
Useful Links
Many useful websites can help you learn more about infertility and treatment options. Here are some suggested links that offer information and support:
www.resolve.org
The National Infertility Association is dedicated to providing education, advocacy and support for men and women facing the crisis of infertility.
www.ihr.com
This Web site provides extensive information about IVF, ICSI, infertility clinics, donor egg, surrogacy services, natural infertility treatment and more.
www.inciid.org
The InterNational Council on Infertility Information Dissemination is a nonprofit organization that helps individuals and couples explore their family-building options.
www.asrm.org
The American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) – A leader for multidisciplinary information, education, advocacy and standards in the field of reproductive medicine.
Fertility Neighborhood
The Fertility Neighborhood is an online educational resource to help you learn more about causes of infertility and the wide range of successful treatment options available.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
The CDC, in accordance with the Fertility Clinic Success Rate and Certification Act of 1992, has annually collected and reported ART clinic success rates.
The report is compiled by the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology and summarizes national trends and provides information on success rates from 391 fertility clinics around the country to help consumers make informed decisions about having a baby through ART treatment.
Herbal Medicine:
The American Herbal Pharmacopoeia
The American Herbal Pharmacopoeia® (AHP) is building the foundation for herbal medicine and promoting the responsible use of herbal medicines.
Herb Research Foundation
The Herb Research Foundation is the world's first and foremost source of accurate, science-based information on the health benefits and safety of herbs.
National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM)
A factual site maintained by one of the centers of the National Institutes of Health, specifically to promote and disseminate information regarding complementary medicine.
American Botanical Council
The leading independent, nonprofit, organization providing education using science-based and traditional information to promote the responsible use of herbal medicine.
HerbMed
HerbMed is an interactive, electronic herbal database - provides hyperlinked access to the scientific data underlying the use of herbs for health.
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