Infertility: When to Seek Medical Help?

By Dr. Sowjanya Aggarwal in Infertility & IVF , Obstetrics And Gynaecology

Nov 08 , 2020 | 2 min read

Your doctor says you are INFERTILE. Don't you feel a plethora of emotions that make you feel stressed out? Will I be able to conceive ever? How will my family take this pain? Will there be a proper diagnosis available? There is an irksome pressure that holds the women emotions and decisions when they learn about their fertility.

Without any doubt, Infertility is rising! Over six couples today struggle with infertility (the biological inability to conceive or carry a pregnancy to full term). Dr Sowjanya Aggrawal says factors mentioned below contribute to this staggering and continuously growing statistic.

Delayed Childbearing
Advanced Maternal Age
Medical Conditions
Sexually transmitted diseases
Obesity and Environmental Factors

Most importantly, as women continue to work and delay in having children, their needs with regard to infertility treatment have risen considerably.

When to seek medical help?

See your doctor if you haven’t conceived after one year of trying
You are 36+ because the decline in fertility speeds up when a woman reaches her mid-30s.
Seeking treatment for Polycystic Ovaries, Endometriosis or Cancer

What can you expect in the treatment?

The fertility tests can take some time so it is best to make an appointment early. The specialist will be able to carry out an initial assessment to check what may be causing fertility problems and advice you for the next step.

Dr Sowjanya says, when it comes to fertility tests, males are a little shy and apprehensive about the whole process. But as an expert, it is always best for both the partners to visit as infertility can be a problem in a man or woman, or sometimes both. Trying to conceive is an emotional process so it is important to support each other as much as possible.

Are there any infertility treatments available?

Fertility treatments for women are:

Medication Treatments for Female Infertility: Usually drugs are given to patients to stimulate ovulation. The surgical treatments mostly involve hysteroscopy and laparoscopy. These procedures allow us to determine whether there are any defects like blocked tubes, endometriosis, fibroid tumours, uterine polyps and other abnormalities of the uterus, fallopian tubes and ovaries. If there are any defects that are found they can be corrected with operative laparoscopy as it offers a faster recovery, minimal blood loss, less scarring and reduces the stay in the hospital.
Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART): If the woman does not become pregnant even after undergoing medical and surgical procedures then she needs to undergo more complex procedures, called ART like:

- Intrauterine Insemination (IUI)

- In Vitro Fertilization/Intra Cytoplasmic Sperm Injection

- Third Party Assisted ART

- Sperm Donation

- Egg Donation

- Surrogacy

If you are concerned about your future fertility, it is the right time to get in touch with your doctor at Max Healthcare. The first step is to get informed and then take decisions.