Whether you’re having trouble conceiving already or you just want to get a better idea about potential hurdles to family building, understanding what can drive infertility in females is important.
The reality is that infertility is incredibly common and affects 15% of couples. Breaking this down further, about one-third of cases of infertility are on the female side, another third lies on the male side, and the final third stems from both sides or for reasons unknown.
Since June is World Infertility Awareness Month, the team at Women’s Clinic of the Rio Grande Valley, which is led by board-certified OB/GYN Dr. Fernando Otero, wants to outline five common causes of female infertility.
It makes good sense that the most common driver of female infertility comes down to ovulation disorders — no egg, no baby. The most common of these is polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), which affects up to 13% of reproductive-aged women around the world.
With PCOS, androgen hormones (which are more male hormones) have more influence and suppress ovulation, which can make conception far more challenging.
While PCOS is the most common ovulation disorder, hormone issues in your thyroid, eating disorders, and other issues can interfere with optimal ovulation.
In terms of reproduction, your fallopian tubes play a very important role because they’re where sperm and eggs meet for fertilization. So, if there’s a roadblock on this journey, then eggs and sperm can’t come together.
Good examples of this are:
There are other examples, but these are the most common.
Another problem we see with some regularity is issues inside the uterus that lead to infertility, usually because an embryo has trouble implanting. For example, uterine fibroids within the uterus can alter the environment, making it less hospitable.
Or, some women are born with abnormally shaped uteruses in which implantation is more difficult.
As you might imagine, figuring out what’s behind your infertility is the most important step in getting you on the road to improved fertility. Each of the conditions we mentioned above has its own management and treatment path, and we can work with you on these to get family building back on the table.
To schedule an evaluation with a fertility specialist, please contact one of our offices in McAllen or Edinburg, Texas.
