What Are The Different Types Of Assisted Reproductive Technology
Common methods of ART include:
- In vitro fertilization means fertilization outside of the body. IVF is the most effective 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.
- Zygote intrafallopian transfer or Tubal Embryo Transfer is similar to IVF. Fertilization occurs in the laboratory. Then the very young embryo is transferred to the fallopian tube instead of the uterus.
- Gamete intrafallopian transfer involves transferring eggs and sperm into the woman’s fallopian tube. So fertilization occurs in the woman’s body. Few practices offer GIFT as an option.
- Intracytoplasmic sperm injection is often used for couples in which there are serious problems with the sperm. Sometimes it is also used for older couples or for those with failed IVF attempts. In ICSI, a single sperm is injected into a mature egg. Then the embryo is transferred to the uterus or fallopian tube.
Why Am I Not Getting Pregnant: It Might Be Your Partner
In many cases, infertility is due to a malefactor. This could be due to low sperm count, poor sperm motility, or even genetic defects in the sperm. If its determined that youre not getting pregnant because of a malefactor, then there are treatments available that can help improve fertility.
However, in some cases, the malefactor is irreversible. If this is the case, then your doctor may recommend using assisted reproductive technologies such as in-vitro fertilization .
Is Day 14 Your Most Fertile Day
You may have heard that day 14 of your cycle is when you ovulate. As a result, many women have sex on day 11, 12, and 13, thinking this will give them the best chance at conception. But many women don’t ovulate on day 14. Normal ovulation can occur as early as day 10 and as late as day 20. If you have irregular cycles, ovulation can occur even later.
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How Long Does It Take For A Woman To Get Pregnant
If you are healthy and your reproductive parts are functioning at their best, you have a 25% probability of becoming pregnant during every menstrual cycle. According to the statistics presented in Before Your Pregnancy by Amy Ogle and Lisa Mazullo.
Of all couples trying to conceive:-
- 30 percent will conceive within the initial month
- 75 percent will conceive after six months
- 85 percent will conceive within one year
- 90 percent will conceive after one year
- 95 percent will conceive after two years
Why Cant I Get Pregnant
When youre ready to start a family and youre not getting pregnant, it can be frustrating and overwhelming. Especially if youve tried the conventional methods to maximize your chances: having frequent intercourse during your fertile window, tracking your temperature every morning and using tools like ovulation tracker apps and predictor kits.
You may start to wonder is this a medical problem or do I simply need to be more patient? Youre not alone. One in 8 couples struggles to conceive. Chantel Cross, M.D., a reproductive endocrinologist and infertility specialist with the Johns Hopkins Fertility Center at the Johns Hopkins Health Care & Surgery Center Green Spring Station in Lutherville, Maryland, explains what factors might be affecting your ability to get pregnant and when you might consider infertility treatment.
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Begin Basic Fertility Treatment
Based on the results of your fertility tests, your doctor may advise you to go ahead with some form of fertility treatment. You could have success, for example, by taking a medication such as Clomid , Femara , a breast cancer drug that increases estrogen levels, or Metformin, an insulin-sensitizing drug that is used to treat infertility, sometimes along with Clomid.
If testing reveals you have structural abnormalities , or endometriosis, your doctor may suggest surgical treatment. They may refer you directly to a fertility specialist or reproductive surgeon.
Certain lifestyle changes may greatly increase your chances of conceiving while you go through treatment . These include:
- Quitting smoking
- Cutting back on drinking alcohol
- Losing weight if you’re overweight or obese
- Reducing the amount of exercise you do if you tend to work out excessively or are underweight
Can You Get Pregnant If Youre Not Ovulating
There is a very slight chance of pregnancy when youre not ovulating. However, this is only because sperm can live inside the body for up to five days, so theres a chance of conception if intercourse occurs near the time of ovulation. The answer to the question can you get pregnant without ovulating is no, though.
Typically, if youre not ovulating, you will not be releasing an egg each month, and therefore you will not get pregnant. This is called having an anovulatory cycle, and it is one of the most common causes of infertility and abnormal bleeding.
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What Causes Infertility In Men
Infertility in men can be caused by different factors, including disruption of testicular or ejaculatory function, hormonal, and genetic disorders, and is typically evaluated by a semen analysis. A specialist will study the volume, number, movement, and shape of the sperm in a semen sample to determine if a male factor is involved.
When To See A Doctor
If you plan to have a baby, it’s a good idea to get a check-up with your doctor before you start having regular unprotected sex. Your doctor can run some bloodwork and make sure you’re in good health and adjust any medications. If you’re having sex every 2 to 3 days for 12 months and you don’t have a pregnancy, it’s a good time to talk to your doctor.
REFERENCES:
- JOHNS HOPKINS MEDICINE: “Endometriosis.”
- Journal of Clinical Medicine: “Should We Offer In Vitro Fertilization to Couples with Unexplained Recurrent Pregnancy Loss?”
- NHS: “Infertility.”
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Your Age Could Be A Factor
This probably isn’t news to anyone, but the younger you are, the easier it is to get pregnant. While there isnt a uniform age where all women will begin to experience fertility issues, egg supply and quality tend to decline more rapidly after age 35, Dr. Uhler says.
You cant really do anything to change how old you are when the time is right for you to have a baby. The only thing you can do is reconsider exactly how you get pregnant, if you’re having trouble doing so at your age, and you’ve been trying for about a year already. Dr. Uhler suggests considering having a convo with a trusted health-care provider about egg or embryo freezing, or looking into IVF.
Trouble Keeping An Erection
Erectile dysfunction , also called impotence, is a condition where you have trouble keeping or getting an erection hard enough for sex. While impotence can be emotional or psychological, it’s usually caused by other health problems like high blood pressure, diabetes, stress, and hormones. Low testosterone can cause infertility, so it’s a good idea to have erection problems assessed.
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The Health Of Fallopian Tubes:
The doctor continues, In women who have undergone pelvic surgery or appendicectomy there may be silent blockage of tubes. Cases like To be able to conceive, the tubes should be open and functional.
Tests like hysterosalpingogram , which is an OPD procedure may be advised to evaluate tubal and uterine health.
Questions To Ask Your Doctor
- If Im over the age of 35, do I have to wait a year before being tested for infertility?
- What could be the reason for my infertility if my tests and my male partners test are fine?
- At what age does your fertility decline?
- Whats the best time in your monthly cycle to get pregnant?
- If I am currently using birth control, how long should I wait in between stopping the birth control and trying to get pregnant?
- Do birth control devices cause infertility?
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Unknown Medical Conditions Like Endometriosis
Sometimes there may be unknown medical conditions Endometriosis, which may present later in life or be perceived as normal.
Dr Priti emphasises, In these cases, women may face severe pain before or during their menstrual cycles which can worsen overtime. This can be a sign of underlying endometriosis and needs appropriate management.
After a proper discussion, the couple got their basic fertility tests done as advised by Dr Priti.
Once the test results were revealed to be normal, Radha and Raghavan were advised few more advanced tests. The advanced fertility evaluation disclosed no cause of concerns and it was suspected to be a case of unexplained infertility.
Radha asked the doctor about unexplained infertility and whether they should be concerned.
Sometimes, couples may have unknown fertility problems and few times, there could be no concrete reason behind it as well.
When To Seek Help If Youre Having Trouble Getting Pregnant
Theres no downside to reaching out to your doctor any time you or your partner have a concern about conceiving. But in general, experts recommend talking to your doctor if youve been actively trying for a full year and are under 35, or if youve been actively trying for six months and are over 35. If youre over 40, its worth talking with your doctor right away.
You should also talk with your doctor if you have a health issue thats known to increase the chances for infertility. These include irregular periods or no periods, periods that are very painful, endometriosis, pelvic inflammatory disease or more than one miscarriage. Your partner should talk with his doctor if he has a history of testicular trauma, hernia surgery, chemotherapy or infertility issues with a previous partner.
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Can You Get Pregnant With Secondary Infertility
The short answer is yes, you can get pregnant with secondary infertility, but you may need to seek out the assistance of a fertility doctor, and heres why.
While women over the age of 35 still have eggs left, it becomes more difficult to get pregnant because the eggs are of lower quality.
Research performed by doctors at RMA showed that a womans age impacts the viability of the embryos created from her eggs.
Namely, the older a woman, the more likely it is that her eggs have a chromosomal error which will, in turn, result in embryos being aneuploid, or chromosomally abnormal.
For example, in her mid-to-late 20s, the rate of aneuploidy in a womans eggs is a little more than 20 percent, rises to the mid-30s by age 35, is about 50 percent by age 40, and is nearly 90 percent by age 42 and 43.
This means that while about 20 percent of the embryos a woman creates may be abnormal in her late 20s, almost 90 percent could be abnormal by her early 40s. That is a significant change in a little over a decade.
Pcos Is A Common Cause
PCOS is a common disorder that affects a womans hormones. This is when the body produces too much testosterone, which can lead to problems such as irregular periods, excessive hair growth, and infertility.
There is no cure for PCOS, but there are treatments available that can help control symptoms. If you think you may have PCOS, then talk to your doctor about your options.
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Why Am I Not Getting Pregnant: It Might Be Your Age
Age is a common factor that can affect fertility. As a woman gets older, her chances of getting pregnant naturally decrease. This is because the quality and quantity of eggs decrease as a woman ages, and it becomes more difficult to conceive.
With the help of fertility treatments, many women over 40 are able to conceive. However, this doesnt mean that its impossible to get pregnant after 40. If youre concerned about your age and its effect on your fertility, then talk to your doctor about your options.
What Causes Infertility In Women
Most cases of female infertility are caused by problems with ovulation. Without ovulation, there are no eggs to be fertilized. Some signs that a woman is not ovulating normally include irregular or absent menstrual periods.
Ovulation problems are often caused by polycystic ovarian syndrome . PCOS is a hormone imbalance problem which can interfere with normal ovulation. PCOS is the most common cause of female infertility. Primary ovarian insufficiency is another cause of ovulation problems. POI occurs when a woman’s ovaries stop working normally before she is 40. POI is not the same as early menopause.
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.
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How Do I Know If My Partner Or I May Be Infertile
Infertility is defined as the inability to conceive after one year of regular, unprotected intercourse. If you or your female partner are over the age of 35, you should see a fertility specialist after six months. After age 40, we recommend seeking help right away because we know fertility declines as age increases.
Reasons For Not Getting Pregnant The Second Time
Your fertility can reduce from your first pregnancy and women may find it difficult to become pregnant for the second time. This is known as secondary infertility. Here are some common reasons for not getting pregnant:
- If you are a woman over 35 years, then the egg count will fall, leading to no or lesser eggs
- Men over 50 have a decreased fertility and abnormal sperm
- Changes in ovulation and menstrual cycles due to hormonal dysfunction, weight issues, stress, medications , and substance abuse
- Complication in your first pregnancy or labor
- Damage to fallopian tubes due to abdominal surgery, endometriosis, sexually transmitted infections
There are certainly ways to fix infertility and conceive easily. But, first you must recognize the problem and then work towards the solution.
If you have more suggestions on how infertility can be dealt with, then tell us in the comments section.
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Blocked Fallopian Tubes: Symptoms And Treatment
Rachel Gurevich is a fertility advocate, author, and recipient of The Hope Award for Achievement, from Resolve: The National Infertility Association. She is a professional member of the Association of Health Care Journalists and has been writing about womens health since 2001. Rachel uses her own experiences with infertility to write compassionate, practical, and supportive articles.
Meredith Shur, MD, FACOG, is board-certified in obstetrics and gynecology, as well as a certified medical examiner.
The fallopian tubes are two thin tubes, one on each side of the uterus, which help lead the mature egg from the ovaries to the uterus. When an obstruction prevents the egg from traveling down the tube, a woman has a blocked fallopian tube, also known as tubal factor infertility. This can occur on one or both sides and is the cause of infertility in up to 30% of infertile women.
It’s unusual for women with blocked fallopian tubes to experience any symptoms. Many women assume that if they are having regular periods, their fertility is fine. This isn’t always true.
If one or both fallopian tubes are blocked, the egg cannot reach the uterus, and the sperm cannot reach the egg, preventing fertilization and pregnancy. It’s also possible for the tube not to be blocked totally, but only partially. This can increase the risk of a tubal pregnancy, or ectopic pregnancy.
What Are Fertility Treatment Options For All Genders
Some couples need more help conceiving. To increase pregnancy odds, a woman may first take medications to stimulate ovulation before trying one of these options:
- Intrauterine insemination : A healthcare provider uses a long, thin tube to place sperm directly into the uterus.
- In vitro fertilization : IVF is a type of assisted reproductive technology . It involves harvesting the eggs at the end of the stimulation and placing sperm and eggs together in a lab dish. The sperm fertilize the eggs. A provider transfers one of the fertilized eggs into the uterus.
- Intracytoplasmic sperm injection : This procedure is similar to IVF. An embryologist directly injects a single sperm into each of the harvested eggs and then a provider transfers an embryo into the uterus.
- Third-party ART: Couples may use donor eggs, donor sperm or donor embryos. Some couples need a gestational carrier or surrogate. This person agrees to carry and give birth to your baby.
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Problem Is With Him Not You
Women may carry the baby, but it takes two to tango. Twenty to 30% of infertile couples discover fertility factors on the man’s side. Another 40% find infertility factors on both sides.
Another thing you need to know: male infertility rarely has symptoms that are observable without a semen analysis, which is a test that measures the health of the semen and sperm. When you do see the doctor, make sure you are both tested.
Does Insurance Cover Infertility Treatment
Health insurance policies vary, so you should always check with your provider. Most insurers cover medically necessary procedures, such as surgeries to treat endometriosis and uterine fibroids. Some policies cover fertility procedures like IUI but may not cover ovulation-stimulating medications.
According to The National Infertility Association , 19 states have laws requiring employers to cover certain fertility treatments. Each state law is different. You can visit the National Infertility Associations website to see what protections, if any, your state offers.
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