QuestionHello. My partner and I have been together for 3 years and have not been able to conceive. He has a daughter from another relationship. We are pretty sure I'm the problem. I was told by a gyno that with some people to treat infertility they are put on the pill and taken off and then they see if they can get pregnant. Is this true? If so how long should I go on the pill. Also I have chronic bv could this contribute to infertility? I was on birth control 5 years ago... I've taken the pill patch and nuva ring. Since I got off we haven't used protection ever and have never gotten pregnant. I have pretty regular periods. They are off no more then 3 days at the most.
AnswerHello Rose from the U.S.,
The answer to your first question is absolutely NO. That is a wives tale propagated by Gynecologists that don't know better.
Chronic vaginal infections can certainly kill the sperm, and thereby prevent pregnancy. But, you would need to have it ALL the time, which is highly unlikely. BV is easily treated with antibiotics. If this were the case, the solution would be to do intrauterine insemination (IUI), to bypass the bacteria.
My recommendation is to see a fertility specialist. You are at the point where you need to undergo an infertility evaluation and your Gyno is not going to be able to help. Since your partner has had children before, you could assume that he is fertile, but you never know. Things change with time. Also, you don't seem to have any obvious reason why you are not getting pregnant so the only way to find out what the problem is, is to have an evaluation. Once this is done and the problem(s) found, an appropriate treatment can be provided for you to achieve pregnancy.
Good Luck,
Edward J. Ramirez, M.D., FACOG
Executive Medical Director
The Fertility and Gynecology Center
Monterey Bay IVF Program
www.montereybayivf.com
Monterey, California, U.S.A.
for additional information check out my blog at http://womenshealthandfertility.blogspot.com check me out on twitter with me at @montereybayivf
