Signs of infertility are really very simple: Either a couple conceives or they don’t – and if they don’t for over a year – this is a sign of infertility.

And two reasons that aging reduces a woman’s fertility are diminished health of her eggs and a reduced ability of the ovaries to release them. They also have a higher risk for miscarriage and other health problems that affect their fertility.

In her twenties is when a woman’s fertility is highest with a steadily increasing difficulty in conceiving into her thirties – as her ovaries stop making eggs at the rate they once did. The risk of miscarriage generally doesn’t become an issue until she reaches at least thirty-six. Drinking and smoking increases the level of infertility in all women. Today, aging is the most common fertility problem as women are choosing to have their first child at 35 or older.

Infertility is categorized as Primary or Secondary: Primary is when a woman can’t get pregnant after a year of trying and Secondary Infertility is when she can’t after a year of trying – but she had already become pregnant in some year past.

Infertility issues plague both men and women equally, according to some experts, while others say women comprise sixty percent. Statistics show that ten percent of actively trying couples have trouble conceiving, with four of five conceiving within a year. A “normal” amount of time to conceive is considered to be up to two years.

Often, couples must each submit to thorough physical examinations to determine their fertility factors. There is a general misunderstanding by many couples that it’s only the female who could possibly have the fertility issue. Males, however, account for a large percentage, which is why it’s important that they get a medical exam as well.

The first tests normally done by a fertility specialist are for a woman’s levels of FSH and her LH. (These abbreviations stand for Follicle Stimulating Hormone and Luteinizing Hormone.) These tests are usually done on a woman’s first and her third visits to her doctor. It should be noted that the tests for these two hormones – Luteinzing Hormone and Follicle Stimulating Hormone – can be done on the male partner, as well. LH and FSH are both important for male fertility too.

Routine tests done later on the female include ultrasound tests, additional hormone tests, and a cervical mucus test. Not done very much nowadays, the cervical mucus test involves testing the post-coital mucus lining the vagina for healthy sperm. One reason for the test is if the male partner does not want to be tested.

A pelvic ultrasound test will take from 20 to 30 minutes, and is a great way for a doctor to assess the overall condition of the female’s uterus and ovaries, and the follicle development on the ovaries. It is also used to see if an egg has been released from an ovary.

There are many other tests for reproductive-related hormones available to the reproductive endocrinologist: They include tests for total testosterone, progesterone, estradiol, prolactin, free T3, free testosterone, androstenedione, and DHEAS.

Treatments for infertility can be expensive and not covered by insurance, and it depends on what needs to be treated, and how far a couple is willing to go with treatment. A relatively common cause of infertility in women is PCOS or (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome), which is treated with a drug called metformin in combination with clomiphene.

Another drug treatment for infertility (for the female again) is clomiphene for ovulation problems – inability to ovulate. Hormone shots are the next thing that a woman can try, although these can have unpleasant side effects such as bloating and feeling sick. But one of the most significant side effects of hormone therapy is having triplets or more babies.

In Vitro Fertilization (a.k.a. “IVF”) is at the top of the most extreme measures that a couple can take in their effort to conceive. Expensive, emotionally and physically taxing, it requires daily hormone injections (can be painful), daily monitoring by a doctor, and regular blood testing. With acupuncture by fertility acupuncture specialists in combination with IVF, however, the success rate is very high indeed – one in three couples are parents. This can come with the ‘cost,’ however, of having to raise twins (one-third of couples who use IVF and get pregnant have twins).

Janet has been publishing helpful articles on fertility and pregnancy for years. Discover more about the signs of infertility and ways to monitor fertility with innovative solutions such as the Clear blue Fertility Monitor and other methods on the website.

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