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.
Some of the reasons for the reduced fertility in women as they age are a diminished ability for their ovaries to release eggs and the lower health level of those eggs. In addition, aging women become more likely with each passing year to have health issues that interfere with their fertility. There's also a higher risk for miscarriage.
Of course, the years of highest fertility are in a woman's twenties, followed by increasing difficulties conceiving in her mid-thirties. By her late thirties her ovaries aren't making eggs like they used to and miscarriage risks become significant. Infertility is a common problem for women who drink or smoke very much. Today, age-related infertility is the number one reason for difficulty in conceiving for women as more women are choosing to put off having their first child until they are at least thirty-five.
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.
In order to get a base for comparison, the first tests normally done by a doctor are for the female's levels of Luteinizing Hormone (LH) and Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH). The tests for these two hormones are normally done on a woman's first visit to her specialist as well as her third. Since FSH and LH are both critical to male fertility (they are important to sperm health and production), these tests can be done on the male, at the discretion of the fertility specialist.
Some of the other tests routinely done (female) include ultrasound tests, a cervical mucus test, and additional hormone testing. A post-intercourse test that's not done as much today, the cervical mucus test looks for active sperm from a sampling of the vaginal mucus. Two to eight hours following intercourse, the female is examined by the fertility specialist. Sometimes a bacterial test is done at the same time.
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.
The reproductive endocrinologist has many other hormone tests that he or she has available to them. The main ones are tests for prolactin, free T3, free testosterone, total testosterone, progesterone, estradiol, DHEAS, and androstenedione.
Infertility can make couples go to great lengths to fix any problems in order to conceive. And the treatments can get very expensive, especially considering that most treatments for infertility are not covered by any insurance. Hopefully, any problems can be remedied with prescription drug therapy, such as taking metformin and clomiphene for PCOS infertility. (PCOS stands for Polycystic Ovary Syndrome).
Failure to ovulate can be treated by clomiphene, with the next level of treatment being hormone therapy. One of the more undesirable side-effects of hormone therapy is the increased likelihood of having 3 or 4 babies all at once.
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.
Janet has been publishing helpful articles on fertility and pregnancy for years. Discover more about the signs of infertility and ways to monitor fertility with innovative solutions such as the Clear blue Fertility Monitor and other methods on the website.
