Conception is a lot tougher than most people think it is. The number of people who struggle with fertility issues are quite a lot and might be increasing. Some statistics have it that up to 40 percent of all couples will have fertility issues and might ultimately need medical assistance to conceive.
Infertility is generally defined as a person’s inability to conceive or even keep a pregnancy after deliberately and effectively trying to do so for about a year without any professional medical support. This could be caused by quite a few general factors along with some factors that might be specific to the individual or the couple. Whichever way, many people seem to not pay enough attention to fertility issues until they’re struggling through them. There are quite a few causes of infertility. Some of them include:
Blockage in the Fallopian Tubes
The process of fertilisation requires an egg to drift from the ovary through the fallopian tubes to the womb where it is then rooted into the lining for more growth and development. If there is any disruption or impediment that prevents the proper passage of the egg from the ovary all the way to the womb, the person is unable to conceive and would need some infertility treatment. Usually, correcting this requires laparoscopic surgery. However, depending on the cause of the blockage, it’s possible that clearing the blockage might be impossible.
Infections
There are infections that could stifle the fertilisation process, like cervical infections. Some surgeries used to treat Human Papillomavirus (HPV) can directly affect the quality and quantity of the mucus available in the cervix. Furthermore, infections like chlamydia and gonorrhoea, when left untreated, can cause women to have pelvic inflammatory disease. This could cause damage to the fallopian tubes and ultimately block it.
Endometriosis
This is when the endometrium, which is the lining of the womb, begins to grow in places where it shouldn’t. Most of the time, this growth happens in the ovaries, the fallopian tubes, or the tissue around the uterus. This is very uncomfortable as it causes severe pelvic pain and a lot of discomfort and agony during sexual intercourse. Infertility could happen from this because these could block the pelvis, making it almost impossible for an egg to reach the womb.
Hormonal Problems
When there’s a problem with hormones, issues with ovulation can happen. For example, a dysfunction in the thyroid gland could mean that either too little or too much of the thyroid hormone is produced. When this is the case, the menstrual cycle is distorted, and this type of interference could cause infertility.
Unspecified Issues
In some rare cases, the reason for a woman’s infertility may not be found. Medical professionals believe that quite a few small issues that both persons have may cause this problem. These causes may never be conclusively found. However, in these cases, sometimes, the problem may fix itself after a while and the woman is able to conceive again.
If you have been trying for as much as 12 months without medical assistance to get pregnant, you might need to see a professional. Visit Guy’s and St. Thomas’ Private Healthcare for an opportunity to discuss some of these issues with trained and experienced medical professionals. With assistance, most people with infertility issues eventually find a solution and are able to conceive again.