Infertility Treatment Options
By Kathryn Johnson
Discovering that you are infertile can be a devastating experience for any couple that is striving to add children to their family. However, you are not alone in your despair. About 6 million people in the U.S. are affected by infertility. Fortunately, about 90% of all infertility cases can be overcome through treatment, with surgical and medical techniques.
Infertility is diagnosed as a disease of the reproductive system, in both males and females, that inhibits the ability to conceive and deliver a child. Couples can be diagnosed after one unsuccessful year of trying to conceive with unprotected intercourse, when the female is under 35 years old. If the woman is over 35, the condition can be diagnosed in six months.
Approximately one in six couples are affected by infertility and there are a number of factors, both male and female, that can cause the condition. The cases are divided by female cause, male cause, both female and male cause factors, or an unknown cause. Unknown cause cases only make up about 10% of all cases, and the other three factors are equally divided in the rest of infertility cases. Once the cause of infertility has been determined, whether male or female, a plan can be personalized by a doctor for the patients to help them to conceive a child.
Treatment options include ovulation induction, artificial insemination, in vitro fertilization, intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection, gamete intra-fallopian transfer, surgery, donated egg or sperm, surrogacy, and embryo donation. If none of these options work, the only alternatives are adoption or remaining childless. The treatment for each individual will vary, depending on the cause(s) of infertility.
Treatment options can help a variety of problems. Infertility drugs can help women whose bodies need help to produce more eggs, termed ovulation induction. If the drugs are unsuccessful, surgery can also be performed. If a woman has complete ovarian failure and cannot produce eggs, she can use a donated egg. In cases where the male is infertile, artificial insemination can be performed. If the woman’s ovaries do not function, surrogacy is also an option. There are many options available to have a baby that is biologically yours, biologically half of the couple, or have a child biologically unrelated using a donated sperm and egg.
If you think you are infertile, you can go to an infertility clinic and take tests to discover the problem. After diagnosis, your doctor can recommend treatments to get you on the path to conceiving a child. Take advantage of the many infertility services available through advanced technology.
