In many cases, couples have difficulty conceiving because of daily stress and anxiety about getting pregnant. The best course of action is to take things easy and enjoy physical intimacy without the pressure of making a baby out of it.
However, if there are no positive results after having regular and unprotected sex for more than 12 months, consult a doctor for various infertility treatment options. Most doctors will advise starting with the least invasive and cheaper options such as fertility drugs and surgery, failing which more high-tech and advanced assisted reproductive technologies may be recommended.
Fertility Drugs
Fertility drugs such as clomiphene and gonadotropins are generally designed to regulate the reproductive hormones and stimulate ovulation. They are often the first treatment option for infertile women as they are relatively easy to use, safe and have a relatively high success rate.
Men with fertility problems can also be treated with fertility drugs. Interestingly, the same substances control reproductive functions in both men and women. Therefore, the fertility drugs for women can be used on men as well. However, the success rate for drug treatment in men is only about a third of those for women.
Surgery for Treating Infertility
Female infertility is also often caused by damage in the Fallopian tubes. There are two main surgical procedures to treat this problem. Fimbrioplasty is used to open up a blocked Fallopian tube by peeling back the fimbriae, the finger-like sections that may have been fused together at the opening of a Fallopian tube, preventing eggs from passing through. Tuboplasty is performed using a balloon catheter that is inserted down the Fallopian tube. The balloon at the end is inflated to clear the tube.
Other female infertility causes such as endometriosis, fibroids and ovarian cysts can be surgically treated through laparoscopy or keyhole surgery.
Intrauterine Insemination (IUI)
Previously known as artificial insemination, IUI is a procedure in which sperm are artificially put in a woman’s uterus through a catheter. The egg and sperm are produced naturally but the sperm needs help getting to the uterus. This fertility treatment option is commonly used when a woman’s cervical mucus kills off sperm, when couples can’t have intercourse naturally due to illness or injury and in many cases of male infertility.
Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART)
Assisted reproductive technologies should always be the last resort for infertile couples. These advanced assisted conceptions methods include in vitro fertilization (IVF), gamete intrafallopian transfer (GIFT), zygote intrafallopian transfer (ZIFT) and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI).
The biggest advantage of using ART is that a couple can conceive using their own eggs and sperm instead of donated eggs and sperm. However, these options are often expensive, involve a lot of medical interventions that can be painful and distressing as well as use ovulation-boosting drugs that can leave very unpleasant side-effects.
Infertility treatment has become more accessible and has higher success rates over the past few years. Usually, couples are advised to undergo less invasive and cheaper treatment options such as fertility drugs, surgery and intrauterine insemination. High-tech and costly assisted reproductive technologies are usually options for couples who’ve tried conventional methods without any success.
Found this article useful? Read also Common Assisted Reproductive Technologies, Common Causes of Female Infertiltiy and Common Causes of Male Fertility.
References:
Practical Parenting Group. Pregnancy – All your Questions Answered. London: Hamlyn, 2007.
Medical Advisory Board of Baby Center Website – Fertility Treatment
 |
