What Causes Female Infertility?

What Causes Female Infertility?

There are a number of things that may be keeping you from getting pregnant:

Damage to your fallopian tubes. These structures carry eggs from your ovaries, which produce eggs, to the uterus, where the baby develops. They can get damaged when scars form after pelvic infections, endometriosis, and pelvic surgery. That can prevent sperm from reaching an egg.

Hormonal problems. You may not be getting pregnant because your body isn't going through the usual hormone changes that lead to the release of an egg from the ovary and the thickening of the lining of the uterus.

Cervical issues. Some women have a condition that prevents sperm from passing through the cervical canal.

Uterine trouble. You may have polyps and fibroids that interfere with getting pregnant. Uterine polyps and fibroids happen when too many cells grow in the endometrium, the lining of the uterus.

"Unexplained" infertility. For about 20% of couples who have infertility problems, the exact causes are never pinpointed.

Tests for Infertility

Your doctor may order several tests, including a blood test to check hormone levels and an endometrial biopsy to examine the lining of your uterus.

Hysterosalpingography (HSG). This procedure involves ultrasound or X-rays of your reproductive organs. A doctor injects either dye or saline and air into your cervix, which travel up through your fallopian tubes. With this method, your doctor can check to see if the tubes are blocked.

Laparoscopy. Your doctor puts a laparoscope -- a slender tube fitted with a tiny camera -- through a small cut near your belly button. This lets him view the outside of your uterus, ovaries, and fallopian tubes to check for abnormal growths. The doctor can also see if your fallopian tubes are blocked.

How Is Female Infertility Treated?

Laparoscopy. If you've been diagnosed with tubal or pelvic disease, one option is to get surgery to reconstruct your reproductive organs. Your doctor puts a laparoscope through a cut near your belly button to get rid of scar tissue, treat endometriosis, open blocked tubes, or remove ovarian cysts,  which are fluid-filled sacs that can form in the ovaries.