What Causes Infertility in Women?

Getting pregnant and carrying the pregnancy to term is a complex process that does not occur naturally to every woman. If you have tried getting pregnant for at least a year without success, you may need to see your provider at womens healthcare of norman for a diagnosis. Establishing the cause of female infertility can be difficult; some women have unexplained infertility. The following factors disrupt the reproductive process, affecting female fertility.

Endometriosis

Endometriosis occurs when the tissue that usually grows in the uterine cavity implants and grows in other places. With each menstrual cycle, the tissue that resembles endometrium develops and bleeds like the uterine lining would, but because it cannot leave your body, it is stuck. Endometriosis also causes chemical changes in the uterus lining, affecting the embryo’s ability to implant normally.

Ovulation disorders

One of the most common causes of female infertility is ovulating infrequently or not at all. Ovulation disorders can stem from problems with reproductive hormone regulation by the hypothalamus.

Hypothalamic dysfunction may cause excess or little production of a hormone or group of hormones. For example, very high or low body weight can disrupt the production of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH), affecting ovulation; ovulation disorders are mainly characterized by irregular or absent periods.

Primary ovarian insufficiency – a loss of normal function of the ovaries before age 40 – can also cause infertility issues. This is typically brought on by an autoimmune reaction or early egg loss from your ovaries as a result of chemotherapy or genetics.

Fallopian tubes damage

Blockage or the presence of abnormal tissue in the fallopian tube is a common cause of female infertility since it is where sperm fertilizes the egg. Blocked or damaged fallopian tubes may result from an infection of the uterus and fallopian tubes (pelvic inflammatory disease) due to sexually transmitted infections like gonorrhea and chlamydia. Scar tissue may also form in the fallopian tubes due to previous surgery in the abdomen or pelvis, like surgery for ectopic pregnancy.

Uterine fibroids

Uterine fibroids are non-malignant tumors or growths that form inside the uterus and sometimes cause symptoms depending on their location and size. Experts have yet to establish why fibroids form, but research and clinical experience point to genetics, hormones, and growth factors.

Fibroids that grow inside the uterus and those larger than 6 centimeters in diameter are likely to affect fertility. These uterine growths are likely to affect fertility if they alter the cervix’s position, change the uterus’s shape, block fallopian tubes, or interfere with blood flow to the uterus.

Unexplained infertility

Unexplained infertility is whereby testing has not found a cause that accounts for one’s or a couple’s infertility. Your doctor will only diagnose you with unexplained infertility after you and your partner have had complete fertility evaluations. Not getting a specific answer can be frustrating, but this problem can correct itself with time or assisted reproductive technologies, like in vitro fertilization and intrauterine insemination.

To learn more about female infertility, contact Women’s Healthcare of Norman to talk to your healthcare provider.