Infertility

How Can I Tell if I’m Infertile?

Many women assume if they try to become pregnant for a couple of months and they’re unsuccessful, that means they’re infertile. In fact, infertility is defined as being unable to conceive after 12 consecutive months of actively trying to become pregnant. Of course, seeing your OB/GYN before 12 months of unsuccessful conception is absolutely fine and can provide you with plenty of information about fertility testing and fertility treatments so you understand all your options.

What Causes Infertility in Women?

Infertility can be caused by many issues, including problems that interfere with normal egg production and release (ovulation), structural abnormalities in the uterus or fallopian tubes, abnormalities in the uterine lining, adhesions (scars), endometriosis, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), and even older age. Some medical treatments including treatments for cancer can also interfere with fertility. Houston Obstetrics & Gynecology offers comprehensive fertility testing to help women understand the causes of their infertility so they can receive the most appropriate care.

How Can Infertility Be Treated?

For many women, infertility can be successfully treated using medications to stimulate the regular release of eggs from the ovaries. In women with adhesions, endometriosis and some other issues, minimally invasive procedures may be used to correct those problems so pregnancy can occur. Other women may require more complex fertility treatments like in vitro fertilization (IVF) or intrauterine insemination (IUI) to help them conceive. When feasible, fertility drugs and other methods usually are tried first to determine if they’re successful in helping a woman become pregnant, with IVF or IUI performed when these other methods fail.

What is Tubal Reversal?

A tubal ligation reversal is a procedure to reconnect fallopian tubes in women who have had a tubal ligation procedure to prevent pregnancy. The success of a tubal ligation reversal procedure varies based on the patient’s age and health and the type of ligation procedure that was initially performed. Usually, the success rates of reversal procedures are higher for women whose tubal ligation procedures were performed using clips or rings to block the fallopian tubes compared to procedures that cut or removed portions of the tubes.