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Infertility affects about 15% of couples. Infertility is considered the failure to become pregnant within one year of unprotected intercourse for women under the age of 35 and within six months of trying for women over 35.
Jade Elliott sat down with Megan Link, MD, reproductive endocrinology and infertility specialist, University of Utah Health, on this episode of the Baby Your Baby Podcast to discuss the causes of infertility and the options for couples who are struggling to become pregnant.
Is infertility just a woman’s problem?
No, men can have infertility issues as well. In fact, male factor is the cause of infertility in 40-50% of couples.
What causes infertility in women?
- Failure to ovulate
- Ovulating irregularly
- Fallopian tube problems
- Uterine problems
- Endometriosis
- Older age
What causes infertility in men?
- Sperm problems: low sperm count, no sperm present in semen
- Prior vasectomy
- Cystic Fibrosis
- Sexual dysfunction: erectile dysfunction, ejaculatory dysfunction
How long should couples try to get pregnant before seeing a doctor?
- Women under 35: 1 year
- Women over 35: 6 months
- Women 40 and older: more immediate evaluation is recommended
If you are concerned in general; however, get evaluated sooner. You don’t have to wait a full year if you have a history of irregular periods, for example.
When should someone consider IVF?
- Male factor
- Tubal factor
- Other treatment options have failed
Other options:
Older age of the female partner: can use donor eggs
Parents are carriers for genetic disease that could be transmitted to the child (Cystic Fibrosis, muscular dystrophy). IVF can be utilized to create embryos and then test the embryos to see if they are affected by the disease in question.
Gestational surrogacy: Women has a medical condition that makes carrying a child dangerous to her health, or has a condition that makes it impossible for her to carry a pregnancy. In many of these cases, we can create embryos using her own eggs and then transfer one embryo into another women’s uterus.
Oncofertility: Preserve eggs or embryos prior to receiving cancer treatment that is harmful to the ovaries.
Elective fertility preservation: because fertility declines with age in women, an increasing number of women are choosing to freeze eggs until they are ready to start a family.
Approximately 1 in every 100 babies born in the U.S. was conceived through IVF.
For more information on IVF, click here.
To learn more about infertility and your options, click here.
The Baby Your Baby program provides many resources for all pregnant women and new moms in Utah. There is also expert advice from the Utah Department of Health and Intermountain Healthcare that air each week on KUTV 2News.