About ten percent of women have trouble conceiving, and a similar number of men are infertile. The trend toward later marriage and family formation is also driving demand for infertility treatments, since fertility begins to drop off in your twenties. This is resulting in many more couples seeking infertility treatment. Yet there are many more options than just IVF. Here is a list of fertility treatments and an overview of who may benefit most from these procedures.
Treatments to Improve the Odds of Natural Conception
Your lifestyle may be impairing your fertility. High stress, an unhealthy diet, smoking and drinking alcohol all contribute to lower fertility. Use of lubricants can interfere in sperm's ability to reach the egg. You may need to ensure that you're no longer using products that are partially contraceptive and have unprotected sex more often.
A lack of protein or iron or just extreme dieting may be preventing normal ovulation. In some cases, medical problems impair fertility. Untreated sexually transmitted diseases are to blame. Treating these health problems dramatically increases your odds of conceiving naturally.
Treatment for Hormonal Problems
Abnormal hormone levels can impair fertility. Low hormone levels can be treated with medication, and this will improve your fertility. For example, you may need to take hormones in order to trigger ovulation. There are also cases where other hormonal problems contribute to infertility. A hyperactive thyroid is but one example. Poly-cystic ovarian syndrome pumps out massive levels of hormones; you may be able to get pregnant after the issue is under control. Existing issues like diabetes complicate pregnancy, but it doesn't mean you can't have a baby.
Note that hormonal medication is part of more advanced fertility treatments like in vitro fertilization. However, you may only need fertility drugs to be able to conceive a baby.
Surgical Treatment for Fertility Issues
Surgery may be a treatment for your infertility issues. One example would be removing fibroids that contribute to miscarriages or general infertility. Surgery may remove scar tissue or treat endometriosis, increasing your odds of getting pregnant. Surgery is the only option if you're trying to reverse a vasectomy or tubal ligation. Surgery may be required to reverse sperm blockages for any other reason. Males with ejaculation disorders or low sperm count may have sperm retrieved surgically for use in artificial insemination.
Advanced Reproductive Technology
In some cases, intrauterine insemination may be the solution to your infertility. Your partner's sperm or the sperm of the chosen donor is placed in the uterus around the time you ovulate. This process is usually done while the woman takes medication to induce the maturation and release of multiple eggs. This increases the odds of success, but it also increases the odds of a multiple birth.
The next level involves egg retrieval from the intended mother or mixing donor eggs with the father's sperm, then implanting the embryo in the uterus. This is called in vitro fertilization or IVF. The IVF procedure may be combined with other treatments such as injecting the father's sperm into the egg when they fail to fertilize eggs on its own.
