Infertility is often a silent struggle. Patients who are struggling to conceive report feelings of depression, anxiety, isolation, and loss of control. Depression levels in patients with infertility have been compared with patients who have been diagnosed with cancer.
The main symptom of infertility is the inability to get pregnant. A menstrual cycle that's too long (35 days or more), too short (less than 21 days), irregular or absent can mean that you're not ovulating. There might be no other signs or symptoms.
A blood test is performed that can determine the number/quality of eggs remaining in a woman's ovary. Measuring hormone levels: A common cause of infertility is polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).
You're generally diagnosed with infertility if you don't get pregnant after 1 year or more of trying, or if you have multiple miscarriages. There are treatments for many kinds of infertility, and many people go on to have a healthy pregnancy and a child. Fertility isn't just a “woman's problem” or an issue with age.
Infertility has significant negative social impacts on the lives of infertile couples and particularly women, who frequently experience violence, divorce, social stigma, emotional stress, depression, anxiety and low self-esteem.
Most at-home FSH tests are very similar to pregnancy tests administered at home. For easy testing, use a small cup to collect urine from the first urination of the day. Then dip the testing stick into the urine sample and place on a flat surface while the test results register.
One study on the topic classified super fertility as having a monthly fecundity rate (the ability to get pregnant) of 60% or greater. If you are born with an abnormally high egg or sperm count, have an extremely regular cycle, or have many healthy eggs in older age, you could be “super” fertile.
Being medically well, following a good diet and lifestyle are prerequisites for fertility. Considered to be the basic checks, if you have managed to maintain good health, follow up on treatments and medications, do ample exercise and practice consistent care and hygiene, you are fertile.
Your family doctor or gynecologist can test you for infertility, or refer you to a fertility specialist. Your local Planned Parenthood health center can also help you find fertility testing in your area.
Blood, urine, and imaging tests can be done to discover why you are having trouble getting pregnant. A sperm analysis can be done to check a man's sperm count and the overall health of the sperm. Your doctor may refer you to a reproductive endocrinologist. That's a doctor who specializes in infertility.
While there can be different reasons for infertility, some of the signs that you may be dealing with treatable infertility include not having periods, irregular periods, bleeding between periods, very light and short cycles, or abnormal discharge and pelvic pain.
What is infertility? Infertility is defined as the inability to conceive a pregnancy after 12 months of unprotected sexual intercourse. It affects about 1 in 6 Australian couples of reproductive age.
The main reason fertility decreases with age is because the quality of a woman's eggs declines as she gets older. And, as women are born with all the eggs they will ever have, older women have fewer eggs. The natural aging process also means higher chances of miscarriage and having a child with a genetic condition.
No, there is no single test to detect female infertility and the same is true for male infertility. A pelvic exam is an integral part of evaluating your fertility, in addition to a Pap smear.
In 85% to 90% of cases, infertility is treated with conventional medical therapies, such as medication or surgery. If fertility treatments are unsuccessful, it is possible to use eggs or sperm donated by a third party or to have another woman carry a fetus. Select a category of treatment to learn more.
Because estradiol was lower in the early follicular phase relative to the other two cycle phases, our findings are consistent with the possibility that within-women increases in estradiol produce subtle increases in face shape attractiveness.
A woman's peak reproductive years are between the late teens and late 20s. By age 30, fertility (the ability to get pregnant) starts to decline. This decline happens faster once you reach your mid-30s. By 45, fertility has declined so much that getting pregnant naturally is unlikely.
Scientists have theorized that a low waist-to-hip ratio is associated with heightened fertility. That is, women with an hourglass figure are more likely to be able to conceive a child.
A woman in her early to mid-20s has a 25–30% chance of getting pregnant every month. Fertility generally starts to reduce when a woman is in her early 30s, and more so after the age of 35. By age 40, the chance of getting pregnant in any monthly cycle is around 5%.
The 'fertile window' depends on the length of the menstrual cycle, which varies among women. The 'fertile window' is the day an egg is released from the ovary (ovulation) and the five days beforehand. Having sex (intercourse) during this time gives you the best chance of getting pregnant.