Even in industrialized countries such as America, infertility is a widespread problem. Current estimates place the number of couples that face problems with infertility at a rate of one out of ten couples. That accounts for a large number of people, with estimates placing the number of married partners that have problems conceiving at approximately six million couples per year worldwide.

One of the most commonly used types of procedures that can be of merit when it comes to infertility is known as in vitro fertilization. In this type of procedure, an egg is extracted from the female as well as some sperm from the male in the relationship. The two reproductive agents are then mixed in a Petri dish, allowing for insemination to occur. The fertile egg is then placed in the woman’s womb in order to complete the process and hopefully kick-start a pregnancy. This procedure is performed approximately 100,000 times per year in America alone. Statistics have shown that while the in vitro fertilization process can be helpful, it is by no means a guarantee of fertility. Since the procedure was pioneered, more than 177,000 children have been born in America alone thanks to it. Some statistics place the number of babies created via in vitro fertilization at three million children worldwide since the procedure was first began in the 1970s.

Since infertility can be such a tragic time for so many couples, many different insurance carriers have begun to cover some of the expensive costs that one may incur when trying to conceive a child. While federal law does not require insurance companies to assist in infertility costs, fifteen states in the US have created laws to help infertile couples. These laws cause the insurance companies to be at least partially responsible for some of the costs of fertility treatment. Some employers offer fertility types of benefits, while some only offer to help with the costs of adoption, avoiding covering the subject of infertility.

Now that you know a little bit more about how widespread fertility problems can be and the types of things that you can do to help to get your procedures paid for, you are better able to deal with any infertility problems that may occur in the future. If you find that you are unable to conceive despite your best efforts and fertility treatments, you may want to consider the idea of adoption. There are many kids out there that are without a family and that can provide the same types of love and warmth that a biological child of your own may offer.

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The first stage of infertility is the acknowledgement stage. It is at this time that the couple comes to the realization that they are having difficulties conceiving a child and more than likely will need medical intervention to accomplish this goal. Typically, the woman is the first to recognize there is a problem and many times the man has to be convinced that as a couple they need help. Communication during this time is imperative because each couple will experience the same feelings of fear, guilt, and anxiety but on different timetables and at different levels. It is important for the man to be able to focus on issues that he can be a success at and that bring him peace and comfort. This is a good time for the man to focus on hobbies or activities that are positive.

The second stage is evaluation and diagnosis. The testing time is generally stressful, invasive, and expensive. The couple’s hopes of finding a quick fix to the problem are usually replaced with the realization that the testing is a slow process. During this time men typically will have feelings of loss of control because the doctors are in control of every aspect of their lives from their diet and what kind of underwear they have on to when and how often they can have sex. This can lead to feelings of anger at the doctors, their body, and even their partner. It is important at this stage for the man to be involved in the doctor appointments and evaluations even if they do not involve him directly. Mutual support is extremely important and can be the glue that helps to hold the relationship together.

The third stage is the treatment stage. Men treasure freedom and spontaneity and at this point have a tendency to feel like infertility have taken over their lives and taken away the things he treasures most. At this time, men are feeling anxiety over the growing financial burden of infertility and the feeling that sex is a scheduled job with too many rules. It is important for men to be able to have sex that is for enjoyment and not for baby making. As a couple they should schedule in some “just for fun” sex during non-fertile times.

The final stage is the resolution stage. During this time the couple realizes that not every aspect of life can be controlled and they realize the need to accept the things in life that cannot be changed. It is important for the couple to really focus on each other and engage in activities that they enjoy together. Men typically feel exhausted and the need to move on with life at this stage. It is good for the couple to meet with other couples who have gone through infertility and have resolved it in different ways. Many times the men are over looked in the infertility treatment process. It is important for the partners and professionals involved to realize the special needs of the man and to allow him to go through the emotions that he needs to go through in order to work through the process.

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At the first visit, the doctor will take a complete history and physical and spend a great deal of time just talking to the couple and getting familiar with their reproductive history. Initially, the doctor will want to do some preliminary tests. He will want to do some hormonal blood tests to check the follicle-stimulating hormone and the luetinizing hormone. The doctor will do a series of blood tests to check for sexually transmitted diseases as well as ask both partners about past history of sexually transmitted diseases. This helps the doctor get a mental picture of anything in the past that could have an impact on current fertility. In addition, the doctor will perform a physical exam. Typically, the doctor will want to perform a semen and urine analysis on the male partner as well.

Another thing that takes place at the first visit is that the RE discusses all of the fertility treatments that are available in that particular clinic and the protocol surrounding those treatments. The doctor will speak with the patient concerning how far they are willing to go in the treatments.

By the end of the first appointment, the couple and the doctor will have a good picture of what will come next and how far the journey will go if necessary. The blood work and semen analysis test results will not be back for about three or four days so at the end of the first visit there probably will not be any answers about the cause of the infertility. Before leaving that first visit, the couple will make a series of appointments for future tests and visits with the doctor. Each clinic typically has a scheduler who works with the local hospitals and will put together the appointment and testing schedule for each couple. It is extremely important for the female to have her menstrual calendar with her at this appointment because other future appointments will need to be made according to what the cycle day is. As a general rule it is not good to have to call back to have the scheduler make the future appointments because the dates fill up quickly and the wait tends to get longer. In addition, at this visit the couple will meet with a financial planner who will go over approximate costs, insurance information, and clinic fees.

Occasionally tests and procedures that need to be performed on certain cycle days will need to be scheduled on weekends or holidays. Most clinics are accustomed to this and are equipped to work on the necessary days. In other cases, waiting one or two days is not significant. However, if at any point the couple feels like timing is everything and they are being asked to wait beyond what they are comfortable with always go straight to the doctor. The couple should never be afraid to talk to the doctor directly with any questions or concerns.

The next appointment will usually be within three to five days after the initial appointment to perform a diagnostic ultrasound to check the production and quality of eggs within the ovaries according to the cycle day.

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Today humans can use the egg donation system (as the sperm donation) system for having a baby anytime they want. This is particularly a boon for women who have deformed and ineffectual eggs, but want to bear their own children. Of course, it might be expensive and need very extensive medical intervention and supervision – but the most important thing is that it is possible.

The egg donation system is a wonderful opportunity for such women to carry their own babies. The eggs are collected from healthy women in the age bracket of 18-35 years of age and kept frozen in nitrogen until they are needed. When it is requisitioned, the donated egg is normally matched with the would-be father’s sperm in a lab and then implanted in the womb of the woman.

This process might be repeated a number of times before it is successful – and the success rate usually depends upon the health conditions of the woman and the way her reproductive system functions. There are many alternatives for infertile couples today, such as Zygote Intra-Fallopian Transfer (ZIFT), In-Vitro Fertilization (IVF), Gamete Intra-Fallopian Transfer (GIFT) and so on; each one of these a gift from the latest technology to humans.

Hence, today it is no longer a matter of concern about how to have a baby. If you decide to have one, and you have trouble, you would have a multitude of choices to avail from and fulfill your desire. The technology and law have progressed to such extent, that it allows surrogate motherhood.

This is when the woman who wants to become mother cannot bear the baby in her own womb. Hence, she could take the eggs out, which after being fertilized with the would-be father’s sperm in the lab, would be implanted in another woman’s womb, who will carry the baby until its birth. Then, the baby would be handed over to the couple whose eggs and sperm had created it.

Sometimes, this process falls through emotional problems and eventually lawsuits. However, most of the cases, things work fine and the infertile couple can enjoy having a baby despite all the imperfections that they might suffer from.

The egg donation system also works great for living stock. In these programs, eggs are collected from the best specimens and then used to breed more such animals in lab conditions. This system works excellent in conditions where large livestock are involved and cannot be transferred from one place to another without involving heavy expenses and effort.

All in all the egg donation system is a great boon to humankind fulfilling one of the most basic needs, i.e. procreation.

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Directly following a miscarriage, vaginal bleeding may occur for several days up to a full week. Even after this bleeding has slowed down there will usually still be some light bleeding from time to time afterwards for up to two or three weeks. Your menstrual cycle may be slightly off for a while, but regular menstruation should commence within three to four weeks. There may also be a lot of general discomfort caused by the miscarriage. This discomfort may centralize itself in the breast area or in the form of cramps, very similar to menstrual cramps. Your body may also experience some abnormal tendencies due to the pregnancy hormones that can remain in your blood for several months after the miscarriage.

The most important thing to be aware of after a miscarriage is preventing any infections of the vaginal area or uterus. Preventing infection is most important during the bleeding time directly following the miscarriage. First of all, do not use tampons. Instead use sanitary pads to allow the blood to get out of your body instead of trying to absorb all of it. Secondly, do not go into swimming pools or hot tubs, and try to avoid taking baths. All of these situations may allow water to seep into the cervix and create an infection. Taking showers on the other hand allows the water to run off without causing any harm. And thirdly, do not participate in sexual intercourse as the vaginal area is already weakened from the miscarriage, so the possibility for infection is highly increased.

After experiencing a miscarriage, many women go through a period of depression. While there are few ways to cure depression quickly, finding a counselor that specializes in miscarriage counseling may help you to recover faster from the psychological effects of the miscarriage.

It is important to recognize what a miscarriage will entail and prepare yourself for it. The bleeding that may occur for weeks and the subsequent discomfort should be considered normal unless they do not stop in a matter of weeks. Remember that your body will still be experiencing the pregnancy hormones even after the miscarriage. It is also important to know what you need to do to safe guard yourself against any infections that may try to develop while your body is weakened. There are three main ways to avoid infection and allow your uterus to repair itself. Once you have managed the physical side effects of the miscarriage, it is important to survey your psychological condition and take care of any emotional effects that may have been caused by the miscarriage. While there are no sure fire cures for these problems, there are many counseling programs specifically developed for women who have gone through a miscarriage.

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There are many common causes of male infertility but there are some that are rare and overlooked when evaluating the male patient.

1. Varicocele – is a varicose vein in the scrotum, which can cause the temperature within the testicles to rise, and therefore, kills the sperm.

2. Testosterone deficiency – is another way that the male fertility can be compromised by causing the sperm to be inadequate in their ability to fertilize the female eggs.

3. Klinefelter’s Syndrome – causes abnormal development of the testicles and related sperm production because of an abnormality in the male chromosomes. Instead of having and X and Y-chromosomes the male will have two X-chromosomes which causes this particular syndrome.

4. Infections – such as sexually transmitted diseases and even illnesses such as mumps or prostatitis can cause inadequate sperm production in men sometimes occurring even from childhood.

5. General health and lifestyle issues such as obesity or malnutrition can also affect male fertility but are not general thought of to be problems initially.

The most common causes of female infertility are such things are annovulatory cycles, fallopian tube blockages, and endometriosis. Other less common conditions can cause fertility issues among women.

1. Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome is caused by an increase in the androgen hormone. An increase in this hormone can cause irregular menstruation and ovulatory problems.

2. Uterine fibroids are benign tumors that grow along the lining of the uterus and can cause infertility by blocking the fallopian tubes and by disturbing the contour of the uterus, which could inhibit the implantation of the fertilized egg.

3. Thyroid problems can also disrupt the menstrual cycle and cause infertility.

4. Many medications can interfere with the female menstrual cycle and therefore cause infertility. These effects are many times reversible once the drug is stopped but the woman has to know that medications can cause infertility and under a doctor’s care, which ones to stop taking.

For both men and women there are other environmental issues that need to be acknowledged as potential risks to fertility. These include pesticides, which can cause female hormone like reactions in the male body and cause reduction in sperm production, and substance abuse and tobacco use both can cause damage to the male sperm. Within the athletic realm, in particular there is wide use of hot tubs and saunas, which can cause a reduced sperm count and slower sperm movement in men. Many times the damage has already been done by the time the man finds out to importance of limiting time in hot water or steam.

When facing problems with fertility, it is important for both men and women to know to look beyond the traditional causes of infertility. By broadening the scope within which the testing is done, there is greater likelihood that the couple will discover the cause of their fertility problems.

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In order to understand if bromocriptine is the right type of medication for you, you need to first know exactly what pituitary adenoma is. It is a very specific type of condition that affects a small number of women. In those with pituitary adenoma, a benign tumor exists in the pituitary gland which tends to mess up the body’s releases of the various hormones that aid the reproductive process. To that end, bromocriptine helps the body to get back on track and working the way that it should. Bromocriptine is often prescribed to women who are experiencing symptoms of amenorrhea, or a lack of a period, or galactorrhea, which is a problem involving lactating while breastfeeding is not currently necessary. The drug helps to inhibit a type of secretion in the brain known as prolactin. It also works to shrink an adenoma that may be present near the pituitary gland that may be to blame for the infertility that the woman is experiencing.

In order to ensure that bromocriptine is a proper type of medication to be given for a particular case of infertility, doctors often monitor the levels of prolactin that are present in the woman’s body. If the prolactin levels show that the woman is unable to successfully ovulate due to an overload of the secretion, bromocriptine is often prescribed. It is a drug that tends to work fast, and if within two months after taking the drug, if no menstrual period occurs, the doctor may also recommend another drug known as clomiphene to be added to the woman’s regimen. The drug comes in a pill format and can be taken both orally and vaginally. Many doctors recommend that women taking the drug gradually increase their dosage from half of a pill to an entire pill over a period of time, as it lessens the possibility of the occurrence of side effects.

The drug can work wonders for women with infertility. Over seventy five percent of all women who are experiencing galactorrhea are able to ovulate successfully by taking the drug. After a woman stops taking the drug, however, hormone levels may begin to reset themselves to where they were before, causing approximately forty one percent of the women to be unable to achieve a period afterwards. While it is not a complete solution to the problems that women have with infertility, it is definitely helpful in a lot of cases. In order to make sure that bromocriptine is the right solution for you, you should speak to your doctor about your particular situation so that they can accurately assess what the best course of action for you will be.

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There are four main treatments that are considered first line and relatively common.

1. Taking hormones – There are several causes of infertility that can stem from hormone imbalance. These include annovulatory cycles, endometriosis, short luteal phases within the menstrual cycle and an imbalance in the different reproductive hormones. Blood and urine tests can reveal what hormones are needed to restore balance within the body to restore fertility. The hormone balance within the female body is intricate and a delicate balance. It is usually not at easy as adding one hormone because that can throw off the balance of others. It is extremely difficult to get the female body back into harmony once that balance has been upset.

2. Inducing Ovulation – There are many reasons why the female may not ovulate in any given cycle. Medications are used to stimulate the ovaries to ovulate. The ovaries can be stimulated to release one egg at a time or multiple eggs from both ovaries at the same time. Women who are using Assisted Reproductive Technologies will usually need to take medication to stimulate the ovulation of multiple eggs from both ovaries.

3. Taking antibiotics – Infections can be a cause of infertility in women. The infections can be inside the reproductive organs, outside the body, or other places within the body to cause infertility of various forms. Antibiotics will take care of the infection and thus restore fertility but in and of themselves antibiotics will not cure infertility not caused by infection.

4. Surgery – Minor surgical procedures can be used to restore fertility by unblocking fallopian tubes that are blocked, removing scar tissue from the reproductive system, and to treat endometriosis. Laparoscopy is a minor surgical procedure that involves the use of a small camera inserted into the naval of the woman so the surgeon can visualize the female reproductive organs to possibly find the cause of infertility. If a cause is found, the problem can be fixed using the same camera and additionally two or three incisions in the abdomen.

If the infertility is caused from blocked or damaged fallopian tubes, many times InVitro Fertilization will help combat that problem and result in conception. The male sperm and female egg are fertilized in the laboratory and the fertilized egg is placed directly into the uterus to help facilitate implantation into the uterus.

Female infertility can be extremely involved and difficult to diagnose and treat. This is usually due to the shear-complicated nature of the female body. With the addition of Assisted Reproductive Technologies, women today can usually be successful in conceiving a pregnancy.

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The most common cause of donor insemination is that the male is unable to produce sperm, or the sperm that are being produced are not strong enough to fertilize the egg. In both of these cases it may be easier to use donor insemination than trying in-vitro fertilization or one of the other alternatives. This way you are almost guaranteeing that the sperm being used is capable of fertilizing the egg.

In cases where the male has some form of hereditary disease that can be passed on through his sperm, donor insemination is also a good method. This eliminates the chances of the embryo picking up the disease. There is some concern that donor sperm may carry other diseases, but the screening process for donors has become quite specific and does not allow for anyone unhealthy to donate to the “sperm bank”.

A third cause for donor insemination is that some men are unable to ejaculate due to physical or neurological problems. In these cases, the men are unable to provide their own sperm naturally. These men may consider using one of the alternative forms of artificial insemination such as: in-vitro fertilization, gamete intrafallopian transfer, or zygote intrafallopian transfer. However, it may be easier to accept donor sperm instead of having to go through several separate steps to achieve the same thing.

The legal implications of donor insemination are also an issue to be discussed ahead of time. By law, couples interested in receiving donor sperm are required to sign a form giving consent to the procedure. That is, the male is agreeing to let his wife become fertilized by another man’s sperm, and both parties are agreeing that the child will legally be considered the man’s own regardless of the obvious DNA discrepancy.

Adoption used to be one of the main alternatives to natural childbirth, but adoption rates have been decreasing over the years, and the process of adoption has slowed down substantially. As a result, the number of people participating in donor insemination has grown exponentially as it is becoming better known and more accepted as a legitimate practice.

There are many reasons for why a donor insemination may take place. Depending on the specific conditions of the relationship, and the reasons for infertility, donor insemination may or may not be an appropriate solution to the problem. However, as donor insemination is becoming a better developed process, it is being used to cure more and more forms of infertility in both men and women. As it becomes more recognized, there are more and more people willing to donate to the cause, which makes the possibilities endless. The only other thing to take into consideration before deciding to take this route is what legal obligations will be placed upon both parties of the relationship to care for the child regardless of the fact that it is not technically related to the father through DNA.

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Question: Are vasectomies reversible?

Answer: Many men choose to undergo a vasectomy surgery in order to ensure that they will remain infertile. However, some men go through lifestyle changes and decide that maybe the vasectomy wasn’t the best course of action. Luckily, the vasectomy process is a type of surgery that is largely reversible. There is a very high success rate when it comes to reverse vasectomy surgeries when performed by qualified fertility doctors. To that end, you need to ensure that you are speaking to a doctor who is an expert in the field. It may cost a little extra to go to a specialist, but in an operation such as a reverse vasectomy, the quality of the physician is the key to the success of the operation. If a reverse vasectomy surgery is unsuccessful, a repeat surgery may be performed but it has a lessened chance of being effective. Your best bet is to go with a qualified professional the first time around, saving yourself the trouble and money.

Question: Is an inability to maintain an erection a sign of male infertility?

Answer: It may be, but it doesn’t have to be. Medically speaking, infertility refers to an inability to successfully impregnate the partner within a period of a year or more. Just because an individual isn’t able to maintain an erection does not mean that they are unable to produce quality sperm that will successfully impregnate a woman. There are many different types of treatments that can work towards helping those with impotence to be able to achieve an erection, and these options should be considered first when trying to conceive a child.

Question: Does the type of undergarment that I wear affect my levels of fertility?

Answer: Surprisingly, the answer to this question is yes. The ability of the testicles to create sperm relies on the temperature of the body. Sperm are not able to be produced until the testicles descend to a point away from the body where they are not as prone to be affected by the body’s warm temperature. To that end, if you wear constrictive underwear such as briefs, you may be placing your testicles closer to your body and thereby lessening their ability to produce quality sperm. Loose-fitting underwear allows the testicles to sit lower and increase their likelihood of producing fertile sperm.

These are just a few of the questions that males may have regarding their fertility. If you have a specific condition that you wish to be addressed, you should speak to a qualified fertility doctor.

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