The inability to reproduce after one year of regularly trying to get pregnant with frequent, unprotected sex for women under 35 is called infertility in females. If you’re over 35 and you are attempting to get pregnant for more than 6 months and nothing happens, it means that you may have an infertility issue. But what are the causes of female infertility?!
Getting pregnant and carrying a pregnancy to term are actually very hard processes. There are many factors that affect fertility in females. In this article, we are going to provide an ultimate guide for common causes of infertility in females, but it isn’t meant to be all-inclusive.
Now, let’s get started!
Some Facts about Infertility
Generally, the cause of infertility is 40% related to women, 40% related to men, 10% related to both men and women, and 10% of infertility doesn’t have any particular reason.
Pregnancy process must follow these steps:
- The ovaries release an egg.
- The released egg moves through the fallopian tube to the uterus.
- The sperm meets the egg.
- The fertilized egg sticks to the uterine wall, and pregnancy happens.
If there is a problem in any of the above steps, there is a possibility of infertility.
What Are the Common Causes of Infertility in Females
You may wonder: What is the cause of female infertility? Let’s touch on the common reasons for infertility!
Ovulation disorder:
It’s a common cause of female infertility, which occurs in 40% of women with infertility issues. Failure in ovulation can be caused by different causes, such as:
- Ovarian and gynecological conditions,
- Aging, including a low number of eggs in a woman’s ovaries due to normal aging,
- Endocrine disorders, such as thyroid disease and issues,
- Lifestyle and environmental factors.
Fallopian tube disorder
If your fallopian tubes are blocked, your eggs can’t move from the ovaries to the uterus, and your partner’s sperm won’t be able to reach eggs. So, this is one of the reproductive system disorders that cause infertility in females.
Problems of the Reproductive System
There are structural problems in women’s reproductive systems that prevent them from getting pregnant. The following are the problems that can cause infertility:
- Endometriosis,
- Uterine fibroids,
- Polyps,
- Scarring in the uterus from previous injuries, infections, or surgeries,
- An unusually shaped uterus.
Endometriosis
When the cells that normally line the uterine cavity are found outside the uterus, endometriosis occurs and causes infertility. Here is how it can make infertility:
- It Changes the structure of the female reproductive organs,
- And the chemical changes in the lining of the uterus that occur as a result of endometriosis make it difficult for females to stay pregnant.
Immune System Problems
This problem causes women’s body immune systems to attack normal body tissues. Autoimmune disorders have different types, like lupus, Hashimoto’s, and other types of thyroiditis or rheumatoid arthritis that may affect fertility.
Hormonal disorders
Women’s hormonal problems are divided into 2 categories:
-
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)
It is one of the most common causes of female infertility. In this situation, women’s ovaries and adrenal glands produce more androgens than normal. As a result, high levels of these types of hormones interfere with the ovarian follicles and release the eggs during ovulation.
-
Primary Ovary Insufficiency (POI)
This condition occurs when a female’s ovaries stop producing eggs and hormones, so she has abnormal levels of ovarian and pituitary hormones because of ovary issues. So, this problem causes some trouble in getting pregnant, but there’s still the possibility of getting pregnant.
Other Causes for Females Infertility
- Obesity or overweight,
- Alcohol and smoking Addiction,
- Sexually transmitted infections,
- Thyroid problems,
- Work with chemicals.
For more information, Read:
How Can We Diagnosis Infertility in Females?
Gynecologists perform infertility tests that include a physical examination and review of physical and sexual health history. Infertility diagnosis test in women includes:
- Menstrual examination,
- Sonography,
- Hysterosalpingography,
- AMH, FSH.
What are the symptoms of female infertility?
Abnormal menstruation in which bleeding is more or less than usual, irregular menstruation, sudden cessation, and painful menstruation are among the symptoms that you should pay attention to. Also, hormonal changes can prevent pregnancy.
The symptoms of hormonal changes can be skin changes (increase in pimples and acne), decrease or increase in libido, growth of extra hair behind the lips, chest and chin, hair loss or thinning, weight gain, and milky secretions from the breast (not related to breastfeeding) and pain during intercourse.
How to Treat Infertility in Females?
Many factors, such as age, duration of infertility, and general health status of the couple, affect the treatment. In women, one or two methods together may help to treat infertility.
Treatments of Infertility in Women
There are several ways to treat infertility in women.
- Ovulation stimulation with drugs: The main treatment for infertility in women is fertility drugs prescribed by the best gynecology and infertility specialists.
- Intrauterine Insemination (IUI): healthy sperm are concentrated and placed inside the uterus with a special cutter when the woman receives fertility drugs and releases an egg.
- In Vitro Fertilization (IVF): In this method, fertilization is done in a laboratory environment, and the embryo is transferred to the uterus after it grows for 3 days in the laboratory environment.
- Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI): This method is based on ectopic fertilization, in which the female egg is combined with the male sperm in the laboratory, and after fertilization, the resulting embryo is placed inside the uterus.
In order to improve and speed up the treatment process of patients, in cooperation with the best doctors in this field, CarefulTrip has provided the possibility of having an appointment with the most prominent specialist doctors, subspecialists, and professors of gynecology in Iran.
Conclusion
In this article, we’ve explained the most common causes and treatments of infertility in females.
Now you know that you should immediately consult a gynecologist to treat infertility. Visiting a doctor should not be only due to illness and should be done periodically. You can access the best gynecological doctors in Iran through CarefulTrip and get advice from them and start your treatment as soon as possible.