Infertility Causes and Diagnosis
While there are several causes of infertility that vary from couple to couple, the most important thing you need to know is that we are here to support you throughout the process of helping you conceive. Together we will find the best infertility treatment, and we promise that we will create a custom treatment plan that has the best success rate for you personally.
Endometriosis and Fertility
Endometriosis is a common condition that affects about one in every 10 women. And while it does increase the odds of infertility, rest assured that you can get pregnant if you have endometriosis. In fact, a significant amount of women with endometriosis are able to conceive without any fertility treatments, and the majority of women with infertility related to the endometriosis are able to get pregnant with the help of fertility specialists.
How Age Affects Fertility
As you may know, age plays a critical role in the success of conception, which is why it’s so important for you to understand when and why fertility declines, and to learn how we can help support you in making decisions that will improve your chances of becoming pregnant when you desire.
How Health and Wellness Affects Fertility
Your overall health may have dramatic implications for your fertility; this is why at West Coast Women’s Reproductive Center, we emphasize treating the whole you. By taking a careful look at health factors including diet, exercise, body weight, response to stress, chemical exposure, caffeine intake, and smoking and alcohol consumption, we can help you make crucial adjustments in those areas that have been proved to affect fertility in order to better your chances at conception.
Fertility Resources
What Causes Infertility?
The overall statistics that affect conception rates look like this: it is estimated that 40% of infertility is due to a female factor, 40% due to a male factor (i.e. low sperm count, poor sperm health, etc.) and 20% of the time there are multiple factors in both partners.
Infertility in women has several potential causes: 25% – 30% of female infertility is directly related to the egg and ovulation, while 40% of the time there is an issue related to the pelvis, including problems with the fallopian tubes, cervix or uterus, such as endometriosis.
Diagnosing Infertility
Here at West Coast Women’s Reproductive Center, we understand the sensitivity behind addressing infertility. It is our main goal to help each one of our patients feel as comfortable and confident as possible knowing that you are receiving the best possible care and treatment plan for you and your specific needs. That is why, we offer a multi-faceted and personalized approach for finding the true diagnosis behind your infertility.
Male Infertility
Many people may be surprised to learn that 40% of infertility in couples is actually due to male infertility. At West Coast Women’s Reproductive Center, we do a thorough analysis of the male partner to help determine what might be preventing successful conception. We provide comprehensive male infertility testing, semen analysis and sperm DNA examination.
Miscarriage and Future Pregnancy
If you’ve experienced a miscarriage, you’re not alone. Many couples will experience a miscarriage, or sometimes multiple miscarriages, while they are trying to successfully conceive. Often women don’t realize how common miscarriage is until they hear stories from other women who’ve also been through it. The most important thing to know is that you can still have a successful pregnancy, despite a history of miscarriage.
What Are Normal Conception Rates?
When you first try to conceive, expect a pregnancy rate of 20% per month. If you are not pregnant by the end of that year, the chance of conception in the following year is 1% per month. After 2 years of infertility, there is a 1% lifetime pregnancy thereafter.
Ovarian Treatments
A woman’s ovarian reserve is an essential factor in determining fertility. Ovarian reserve refers to how many eggs a woman has left in her ovaries to reproduce. Diminished ovarian reserve refers to having few eggs left in a woman’s ovarian reserve, however, just because there are few eggs, does not mean that the woman is infertile.
Pelvic Disease and Infertility
A woman’s fertility will be adversely affected if her pelvis, especially the ovaries and tubes, are diseased. Common factors include prior pelvic infection, STDs, history of pelvic inflammatory disease, appendicitis, infection from an IUD or a prior tubal pregnancy.
Fertility Treatment Success Rates
When it comes to selecting a fertility clinic, we understand that finding one with a high success rate is important to you. But a number doesn’t tell the whole story, and often the statistics you see online are manipulated to look high – and may well be based on treatment plans that you wouldn’t want, and that wouldn’t necessarily work for you.
Unexplained Infertility
Unexplained infertility means that there’s no specific reason that can be found to explain why you haven’t yet become pregnant. We’ve checked your eggs and found that they’re normal and you’re ovulating. We looked at your fallopian tubes, and they’re open. We’ve investigated your uterus, and it’s shaped normally. We analyzed the sperm (twice), and it’s normal, too. You’ve had no surgery on your cervix. Yet it’s been two years or more, and you’re still trying to conceive.
This is why we always encourage our patients to put their worries aside – “Together, we’ll find a way” is our promise to you.
Speak with one of our fertility experts to discuss your personal circumstances and learn more about your infertility treatment options; don’t hesitate to contact the West Coast Women’s Reproductive Center at 818-986-1648 or make an appointment.