Understanding The Reason For Infertility
The reason for infertility could lie with either partner. If you have been trying to conceive for over 12 months and you haven’t succeeded, then it is important to seek advice from a physician or your primary health care provider, normally your acupuncturist. Acupuncture has been shown to assist greatly with infertility issues for both male and female.
They will look at your particular history and assess what could be the underlying cause. Once the reason for infertility is determined, they will then have the means to assess the options available and guide you to choose the right treatment plan for you.
Understanding infertility
The rate of infertility in couples in the peak reproductive age range is 10 to 15%. The reason for infertility could be hormonal, physical or anatomical. It is possible for either the male or the female partner to be infertile or have reduced fertility which prevents successful conception.
A common reason for infertility is hormone levels as highlighted below:
Female hormone imbalances - Progesterone and oestrogen are the fertility and pregnancy hormones which enable the processes leading to reproduction. Low levels of progesterone can be one of the major causes of low levels of fertility.
The progesterone levels that is produced spikes when the egg is released and plays an important part in ensuring the egg implants in the womb. One reason for infertility is that the levels of this hormone drop after conception, causing the uterus lining to shed as it would in normal menstruation.
To prevent this problem, a physician will prescribe treatments including progesterone suppositories, oral progestogen medications and the use of topical progesterone cream.
The other major reason for infertility in females is a high level of testosterone. When a high level of testosterone exists, there is an imbalance between this hormone and the levels of oestrogen and progesterone. When this happens, the imbalance can prevent the correct regulation of the release of the egg and the implantation process.
The most common treatment is the use of oral medication to improve oestrogen and progesterone levels and improve fertility.
Male infertility - Sperm count and sperm motility is a common reason for infertility in males. When the sperm count is low, the chances of conception are significantly reduced.
The slow movement of sperm can also cause problems with the sperm reaching the egg and hence reducing the chances of fertilisation. A physician can help in this situation, or assisted reproductive therapy may help to improve the likelihood of conception using sperm and eggs from the couple.
Once the reason for infertility is understood, there are different options available to help overcome this barrier to conception. There are many different causes of infertility and the management of the particular set of underlying cause in each case will help couples to conceive and fulfil their dream of becoming parents.
