Infertilely and

Alternatives to Natural

Reproduction

Infertility

Infertility is the inability to conceive a

child

The American Society of

Reproductive Medicine recommends

that a woman consult her health care

provider if she is:

1) under 35 years old and has been trying

to conceive for more than 12 months

2) over 35 years old and has been trying to conceive for over 6 months

Infertility

Infertility is a medical condition that is found in both men and women

Men and women are affected almost equally

Infertility is a growing issue for many couples

Infertility is a condition that affects approximately 1 out of every 6 couples (of child rearing ages)

25% of infertile couples have more than one cause of infertility

The current increase in infertility might be the result of:

More women choosing to delay starting a family until later in life

Increase of some STI’s, such as Chlamydia, can result in preventing pregnancy from occurring

Male Infertility

With men, declining sperm counts, testicular abnormalities, and decreased reach

of climax are common causes of infertility.

There are four main causes of infertility in males:

A hypothalamic or pituitary disorder (1-2%)

Testicular disorders (30-40%)

Sperm transport disorder (10-20%)

Unknown causes (40-50%)

Male infertility usually occurs because of sperm that are abnormal, because of

inadequate numbers of sperm, or problems with ejaculation

Sperm can be considered abnormal for two possible reasons: unusually short life

span of the sperm and/or low mobility or sperm count

Female Infertility

With women, the most common causes are:

Tubal blockage

Ovulation issues

Endometriosis (tissues from inside the uterus grow outside)

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (hormone disorder causing cysts)

Age (egg quality)

Damage to fallopian tubes or uterus

Treatment Options or Alternatives

Fertility treatments can

increase the likelihood

of getting pregnant by 50%

or more!

Treatments can include

lifestyle changes, vitamins

and supplements, surgery,

medication, or assisted

reproduction.

Treatment Options or Alternatives

Several options include:

Hormone/fertility medication, artificial insemination, donor eggs, donor sperm, donor embryo

in-vitro fertilization (IVF), gamete intrafallopian transfer (GIFT), and zygote intrafallopian transfer (ZIFT). All these procedures involve harvesting a number of eggs in the hope of fertilizing at least one egg, and then insert the fertilized egg(s) into the uterus.

Other options include:

Adoption

Fostering

Surrogacy

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