Infertility Treatments for Women
It is a sad fact of modern life that people suffer from a whole range
of fertility problems brought upon by environmental and lifestyle factors amongst other reasons. Thankfully, great
advances have been made in medical science as a result of which many types of infertility treatments for
women are available these days. Reproductive technology has made
impressive strides over the past few decades and doctors are now able to bring hope to couples
everywhere.
Women who have difficulty getting pregnant can now take recourse to the latest
technology. Doctors
also now have a better understanding of how reproduction occurs and why
things sometimes go wrong. Understanding the causes of infertility is essential to choosing the appropriate
treatment method. Many infertility treatments for women consist of assisted reproductive technology which uses a
variety of sophisticated treatments and procedures.
There are many reasons why a couple cannot get pregnant and the problem may lie with
one partner or the other, or sometimes with both of them. However, it has been observed that almost a quarter of
all infertility cases that involve women are because of ovulation problems. Women who don't ovulate naturally need
help from doctors to make this happen especially if the rest of their reproductive system is in good working
condition and doctors are convinced that they can carry a baby to term. Infertility treatments for women in such cases consist of treatment
with one or the other kind of fertility drug.
The most common drugs given for infertility treatments for women who cannot ovulate
are Clomiphene or Gonadotropins or even Bromocriptine. These drugs are available under different brand names and
are prescribed by doctors in order to get women to ovulate. They are usually administered by injection and are
extremely effective in increasing fertility in women. They are sometimes known to work all too well and many women
who have been treated with them report multiple births since they release more than one egg at the same
time.
A large proportion of women have fertility problems because their fallopian tubes are
blocked. This leads to a condition called tubal factor infertility when the egg that is released by the ovary
cannot make its way down to the uterus. There are many reasons for the fallopian tubes getting blocked but scarring
caused by infections is one of the biggest reasons.
Women who have suffered from pelvic inflammatory disease or STD infections have a
greater chance of having blocked tubes. Infertility treatments for women in this instance usually consist of
surgery to clear the scarring that blocks the path of the eggs. However, it is not usually a simple decision.
Doctors will have to decide on the course of action based on the nature, extent and position of the blockage and
will also check if the partner has any fertility problems that will make unblocking the tubes a futile exercise. In
case only one tube is blocked then doctors might prescribe a course of fertility drugs to ensure that ovulation
occurs and that the egg comes down the fallopian tube that works properly.
A small proportion of women suffer from disorders of the endocrine system. There are
instances when the pituitary gland produces certain hormones called luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle
stimulating hormone (FSH) in abnormal quantities, causing a woman to suffer from a condition called polycystic
ovarian syndrome. The woman’s ovaries get covered with multiple fluid filled sacs that prevent it from functioning
properly.
She will probably not ovulate because of this problem and will also have high levels
of testosterone in her body. It is very common for women with this condition, also called PCOS, to have very
irregular periods and to have hair on her face and body.
Infertility treatments for women in this case consist of hormone therapy. Many doctors also prescribe birth control
pills to women in order to regularize their hormone levels and this has been found to be extremely
effective.
Many women who are overweight in addition to suffering from PCOS are urged to lose
weight after which their ovulation begins spontaneously. Women who are not overweight will need to be treated with
hormones in order to get them to start ovulating. Doctors do not generally like to use surgical methods for this
problem.
The inability to have a child is no longer the end of the road for most couples since
there is likely to be assisted reproductive technology to solve their specific set of problems. Doctors have been
able to offer hope to lots of childless couples thanks to the different types of infertility treatments for women
that have been developed of late. Couples might have to go through a lot of treatment in order to become parents
but the success rates of many procedures are quite high especially since many talented doctors specialize in this
field.
You can also read about infertility
treatment options here.
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