Both males and females have decreased fertility with age, but one of the signs of infertility is not getting pregnant after a full year of a couple trying.
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.
A woman's highest fertility is in her 20's, with her 30's being a time when she is still relatively fertile. She will start having difficulty conceiving as she gets into her mid to upper 30's. Miscarriage risks start to come into play in her late 30's. Fertility decreases appreciably in smokers and drinkers. With more women choosing careers today that put off child-rearing, aging has become the primary reason for infertility.
When women fail to conceive after a whole year of intercourse, they are considered to fall in the Primary Infertility category. If they have conceived once before but have gone a year without conceiving (while trying the whole year), they are considered to be in the Secondary Infertility category.
Both males and females have infertility problems, with the split being roughly 50-50, according to some experts on fertility. But the ratio is 60-40 - with the females having 60 percent of the infertility issues according to others. One in ten of couples trying to conceive will have difficulties, with four out of five being successful inside a year. What is a normal amount of time? Up to two years of trying, say experts.
Complete physical exams are necessary for many couples, in order to assess their fertility levels. Since males have a large percentage of the fertility issues (even if it is less than fifty percent), it is important that both partners be tested.
As a baseline for later comparison, one of the first tests done will be a woman's LH - or Luteinizing Hormone and her FSH - or Follicle Stimulating Hormone. Normally, these tests are done on a woman's first visit and her third visit to the specialist. The tests for these two hormones - LH and FSH - can also be performed on the male as well, if deemed appropriate by the fertility specialist. These hormones are both critical for the development of sperm cells.
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.
Reproductive Endocrinologists can test for many other important hormones, other than just the luteinizing hormone and the follicle stimulating hormone. The primary ones are: androstenedione, DHEAS, total testosterone, progesterone, estradiol, prolactin, free T3, and free testosterone.
Treating infertility is a subject for an entire series of articles, but in a nutshell, infertility treatments run the gamut from simple drugs to surgery. Infertility treatments can get very expensive and time-consuming - and rarely covered by insurance, so it boils down to how bad a couple wants to conceive. Certain treatable infertility problems include Polycystic Ovary Syndrome or PCOS, which is treated with the drugs clomiphene and metformin together.
Problems ovulating can be treated with the drug clomiphene. The next thing on the list of ever-increasing extreme treatments for infertility is hormone therapy. This is more extreme because besides bad side effects, it often results in multiple-baby pregnancies.
There are other infertility treatments, but one of the most intense and expensive is IVF, or in vitro fertilization. If you decide to go this route, you should know that acupuncture (by professionals trained specifically in acupuncture fertility therapy) has proven to increase the success rate of IVF pregnancies. Be aware, however, that IVF also increases the chance of multiple births: 1 in 3 IVF couples will be parents of twins. - 33375
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.
A woman's highest fertility is in her 20's, with her 30's being a time when she is still relatively fertile. She will start having difficulty conceiving as she gets into her mid to upper 30's. Miscarriage risks start to come into play in her late 30's. Fertility decreases appreciably in smokers and drinkers. With more women choosing careers today that put off child-rearing, aging has become the primary reason for infertility.
When women fail to conceive after a whole year of intercourse, they are considered to fall in the Primary Infertility category. If they have conceived once before but have gone a year without conceiving (while trying the whole year), they are considered to be in the Secondary Infertility category.
Both males and females have infertility problems, with the split being roughly 50-50, according to some experts on fertility. But the ratio is 60-40 - with the females having 60 percent of the infertility issues according to others. One in ten of couples trying to conceive will have difficulties, with four out of five being successful inside a year. What is a normal amount of time? Up to two years of trying, say experts.
Complete physical exams are necessary for many couples, in order to assess their fertility levels. Since males have a large percentage of the fertility issues (even if it is less than fifty percent), it is important that both partners be tested.
As a baseline for later comparison, one of the first tests done will be a woman's LH - or Luteinizing Hormone and her FSH - or Follicle Stimulating Hormone. Normally, these tests are done on a woman's first visit and her third visit to the specialist. The tests for these two hormones - LH and FSH - can also be performed on the male as well, if deemed appropriate by the fertility specialist. These hormones are both critical for the development of sperm cells.
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.
Reproductive Endocrinologists can test for many other important hormones, other than just the luteinizing hormone and the follicle stimulating hormone. The primary ones are: androstenedione, DHEAS, total testosterone, progesterone, estradiol, prolactin, free T3, and free testosterone.
Treating infertility is a subject for an entire series of articles, but in a nutshell, infertility treatments run the gamut from simple drugs to surgery. Infertility treatments can get very expensive and time-consuming - and rarely covered by insurance, so it boils down to how bad a couple wants to conceive. Certain treatable infertility problems include Polycystic Ovary Syndrome or PCOS, which is treated with the drugs clomiphene and metformin together.
Problems ovulating can be treated with the drug clomiphene. The next thing on the list of ever-increasing extreme treatments for infertility is hormone therapy. This is more extreme because besides bad side effects, it often results in multiple-baby pregnancies.
There are other infertility treatments, but one of the most intense and expensive is IVF, or in vitro fertilization. If you decide to go this route, you should know that acupuncture (by professionals trained specifically in acupuncture fertility therapy) has proven to increase the success rate of IVF pregnancies. Be aware, however, that IVF also increases the chance of multiple births: 1 in 3 IVF couples will be parents of twins. - 33375
About the Author:
Janet has been publishing helpful articles on infertility and pregnancy problems and solutions and pregnancy for years. Discover more about the signs of infertility and ways to track fertility with innovative solutions such as the Clear blue Fertility Monitor and other methods on the website.
