Endometriosis and Fertility Resource Page

By Doreen Nagle
Gannett News Service

How conception occurs:

1. Healthy eggs are produced from the ovaries.

2. The fallopian tubes must be free of blockages in order for the egg to go through them where it meets healthy sperm. The sperm merges with one or more eggs in the fallopian tubes.

3. The lining of the uterus is prepared, so that the fertilized egg can attach itself successfully to the lining of the uterus.

4. Hormones nourish the fertilized, implanted egg.

Common causes of women’s infertility:

• Delaying pregnancy in and of itself is generally the single biggest cause of infertility for women 35 and older. Fertility drops 30 percent to 40 percent by her mid-30s to mid-40s. By the time a woman reaches 50, her fertility can be practically zero. Women are born with all the eggs they will ever produce (about 2 million); men produce about 72 million new sperm each day! According to Dr. Eldon Schriock, former director of the fertility program at the University of California, San Francisco, good fertile eggs run out about five to 10 years before the onset of menopause.

• Polycystic ovary syndrome affects about 5 million women annually.

• Hormonal imbalances could result in a lack of ovulation.

• Body fat that’s too high or too low.

• Chronic diseases, i.e. diabetes or hepatitis.

• Endometriosis.

• Prescription medication.

• High incidence of miscarriage.

• Impaired fecundity, which is a medical term that means the inability to carry a baby to full term.

• Poor lifestyle factors such as poor diet, smoking, drugs.

• Environmental factors in the home or workplace.

• Sexually transmitted diseases.

• Fallopian tube blockage. See No. 2 above. This problem accounts for about 20 percent of infertility in women, according to Dr. Schriock.

• Not knowing what time of the month she is fertile. If you do not know how to tell when you are fertile, talk to your gynecologist.

• Abnormal Pap smear.

• Ectopic pregnancies.

• Another 20 percent of causes fall into a catchall miscellaneous category that would include uterine and cervical problems.

A workup by a gynecologist or other medical professional should be ordered if you are having trouble conceiving. Include a workup for your partner as well, since infertility is an issue that affects men and women almost equally and is generally easier to treat in men.

Source: IndyStar