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• DEFINATION


• DESCRIPTION OF INFERTILITY


• CAUSES


• SYMPTOMS


• INVESTIGATIONS


• TREATMENT

DEFINATION:

Female infertility is defined as infertility in a couple which is due to female related factors.

DESCRIPTION INFERTILITY:

According to defination of infertility on has to understand tha a couple should go for medical examination only if they are not getting conceived even after having an unprotected sex for complete one year.

CAUSES/FACTORS RESPONSIBLE FOR FEMALE INFERTILITY:

• Abnormalities of the uterus (such as fibroid uterus)
• Ovarian dysfunction
• Endometriosis
• Scar tissue from previous surgery
• Thyroid problems and other hormonal imbalances
• Pelvic inflammatory disease and untreated Sexually transmitted diseases are responsible for infertility.
  
• Low sperm count in male partner
  
• Age
  

  Chances for Pregnancy by Age
  Age	Fertility %
  Up until age 34	90%
  By age 40	Declining to 67%
  By age 45	Declining to 15%

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• Being an overweight contributes to infertility as obesity is associated with polycystic ovarian syndrome,which is one of the causes of infertility.Overweight womens are likely to be anovulatory and thus infertile too.
  
• Being an underweight can also contribute to infertility as body fat levels 10-15 % below normal can adversely effect the reproductive system in females.
• Stress and fertility are closely related to each other as elevated levels of stress hormones can shut down menstruation
• Exposure to certain environmental toxins can cause infertility in females
• Infertility is common among people who smoke at least one pack of cigarettes a day and in smokers who started using tobacco before the age of 18.
• Female infertility is higher among womens who had 5 or more drinks a week.

SYMPTOMS :

The most important factor responsible for womans ability to conceive is her age,now a days most of the women's like to wait untill later in life for attempting pregnancy but ability to conceive depends upon the ability of the ovary to produce healthy eggs which declines with age and thus increasing the risk of chromosomal abnormality and unsuccessfull implantation.Women's ability to conceive starts declining in the age of late 20's or early 30's well decline is minimal in starting but it starts declining rapidly at the age of 39 and even rapidly at the age of 45 and beyond.


EMOTIONAL REACTIONS:

A various range of emotional reactions occur among infertile couples which are greater in childless couples in comparison to couples having atleast one child.

Physical changes include:

•  Irregular periods
• Absence of menstruation
• Pelvic pain
• Chronic acne
• Weight gain
  

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INVESTIGATIONS:

• Blood hormone levels
• Cervical mucus to detect ovulation
• Endometrial biopsy
  
• Hysterosalpingography (HSG)
• Laparoscopy
• Luteinizing hormone urine test
• Pelvic exam
• Postcoital testing (PCT)
• Progestin challenge
• Semen analysis
• Serum progesterone