Common Fertility Treatments

If you're having trouble conceiving, you're definitely not alone. According to the Centers for Disease Control, as many as one in eight couples have problems either getting pregnant or sustaining a pregnancy, and 7.4 million women have received infertility services at some point in their lives. However, it can be tough to know when the time is right to see a fertility specialist. There are certain circumstances under which doctors recommend seeking treatment such as if you are a woman under the age of 35 who is unable to get pregnant after one year of regular, unprotected intercourse. Other factors include a history of three or more miscarriages, irregular or nonexistent ovulation that has not responded to previous drug treatment, couples with known risk factors such as undescended testicles or a history of pelvic inflammatory disease, low sperm count or "unexplained infertility" in which tests come back normal but the couple has not been able to conceive. If any of these sound familiar, fertility treatment may help. There are several types of treatments that infertility treatment centers typically use. Read on to learn more about these treatments and which one might be right for you.

• Minimally invasive surgery. There are several different types of minimally invasive surgery that can correct problems fairly easily such as laparoscopy to remove endometriosis or scar tissue. Hysteroscopy is another option that can open a blocked fallopian tube, remove endometrial polyps or correct a uterine septum.
• Medications. There are a variety of fertility medications available that are generally hormones or affect hormone production in some way. Oral medications include clomiphene citrate (also known as Clomid and Serophene) and letrozole (Femara). Clomiphene citrate (CC) is used to induce ovulation while letrozole is also used for this purpose but has fever negative effects on the cervical mucus and endometrial lining. Injectible (and intravaginal) medications include gonadotropins and progesterone. These drugs are most often used during in vitro fertilization (IVF). Additionally, sometimes an infection is the cause of problems with sperm function or sperm-cervical mucus interaction. In these cases, an antibiotic may be all that's needed.
• IVF. One of the most well-known fertility treatments, IVF entails taking eggs from the ovary which are then fertilized with sperm in a laboratory. The resulting embryos are then placed into the uterus. It may sound simple, but there are many additional steps along the way involving specific timing and as a result, close monitoring. Egg production must be stimulated and the eggs must be harvested at just the right time. The sperm is then collected, analyzed and processed before the eggs are fertilized. Timing is again crucial while the embryos are being cultured and transferred back to the uterus. After the transfer, hormone levels are monitored and the first pregnancy test can be taken about two weeks after the procedure.
• IUI. IUI stands for intrauterine insemination. With this treatment, sperm is inserted directly into the uterus, bypassing the cervix. IUI can be helpful in cases of irregular ovulation, low sperm count or if the cause of infertility is unknown. Again, timing is critical as insemination must take place during ovulation. In order for IUI to be effective, the fallopian tubes must be healthy and functional, and sperm function must be reasonable.
• Surgical sperm retrieval. In some cases, viable sperm may be produced but remains within the testes. In these cases, the sperm can be extracted and used in IVF. This procedure makes it possible for men to be biological fathers who might not have been able to do so otherwise.

To learn more about these and other fertility treatments visit floridafertility.com/.

About the Author: Beth A. Stevens is an infertility specialist and contributing writer who enjoys helping couples realize their dream of having a baby.

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