QuestionHi Dr. Ramirez,
I'm only 19 and do not plan on having children in the near future, but do plan on having them in my late 20's. Something that has always made me nervous is fertility. Is there anything that helps boost your fertility chances (besides being overall healthy)? I also have Behcet's Disease, and was wondering if there are any complications with pregnancy and Behcet's?
Thank you,
Tevon
P.S. I'm writing from Washington, D.C.
AnswerHello Tevon from the U.S.,
There are medications that can be used to boost fertility, but there are no natural remedies that increase fertility. I have seen some OTC "natural" formulations, which are mainly vitamins, that are specifically for "increasing" fertility, but they really don't do much.
Behcet's is a difficult disease and thought to be auto-immune, meaning that it is an exaggeration of the immune response against one's own cells. In this case, it seems to attach blood vessels, especially the smaller ones. These blood vessels are certainly important for fertility and pregnancy, as they provide blood flow to critical areas such as the implantation site of the embryo, etc. I am not an expert in this disease or the manifestations of this disease, but theoretically, it could cause problems in pregnancy. You might want to have a consult with a Perinatologist (Obstetrician specializing in high risk/complicated pregnancies), prior to getting pregnant to see what your risks might be.
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, and follow me on Facebook at http://bit.ly/9Iw9oV
