Over the years, doctors and scientists have developed different means of conceiving, in vitro fertiliation or IVF among others. What is IVF? How is this done? Is this safe? These are just some of the questions couples are confronted with.

For anybody who wants to go through this way of conceiving, it is primordial to learn more about IVF and how can it be a method of having a baby. Here are some facts that will help one understand what is IVF all about.

Basic facts you should know about ivf

1. It was in the United States when IVF was finally conceived in 1981. This medical technique has given hope to millions of couples who wanted to have babies of their own but because of natural circumstances, are unable to do so. However, the first successful procedure was made in England.

2. Have you ever heard of a test tube baby? He or she is a product of IVF, commonly referred to as in vitro fertilization. This procedure involves surgically extracting an egg cell from the woman’s womb and mixed with sperm in a laboratory dish.

After forty hours, doctors will then check if they have become fertilized. Once fertilized, they are placed in the woman’s uterus. These eggs are called embryos. Quite amazingly, IVF used to be an out of this world scientific breakthrough is now an accepted method widely practised.

3. About 5% of couples that are incapable of child bearing have resorted to in vitro fertilization. One can say that what is aphrodisiac to lovers is like what is IVF to infertile couples.

4. IVF is also used as a technique of child bearing for males with low sperm counts.

5. This method is used when all other options are not feasible. It may involve several tries until it becomes successful. IVF for a first-timer might even be nerve-wracking because of the many different types a couple has to undergo. Nevertheless, the end result of IVF may bring to a couple is very rewarding.

6. Conceiving through in vitro fertilization is safe and only a minimal percentage of side effects have been recorded. It may be costly but if this is the only chance for a couple to have a baby, price wouldn’t matter. There are a lot of fertility clinics offering such method but it is always best to ask your obstetrician about this procedure.

In an era where all questions have answers and all problems have solutions, childless couples have found hope through in vitro fertilization. IVF as a medical discovery is proof to this.

Although around 65% of the recorded procedures has been successful, it is not a guarantee that babies conceived through this method will grow healthy. But then again, it is always worth a try. After all, life is a gamble.

Unexplained infertility is when standard testing cannot determine the proper reasons for failure to conceive. The bottom line to unexplained infertility is simply when doctors can’t figure it out.

However, even if they cannot determine the reason, they can provide alternatives to fertility and reproductive assistance to their patients.

In fact, unexplained infertility is quite common, occurring in about 10% of couples who visit fertility clinics.

A number of tests will be performed to establish a cause for unexplained infertility and it usually done by an exclusion method. It is said to occur even when:

1. There is regular ovulation
2. The fallopian tubes are open and healthy
3. There are no pelvic adhesions
4. The woman’s partner has a high sperm count and good sperm health
5. There is an absence of endometriosis
6. The postcoital test comes out positive

Various tests will be needed to diagnose if a couple has unexplained infertility or not. However, some underlying factors have been shown to contribute to the condition:

• Abnormal fallopian tubes may be an underlying factor, even if the tubes are seen to be open and healthy. Tiny abnormalities can occur that take several tests and quite some time in order to determine.

• Abnormal eggs are another potential reason for unexplained infertility. Even if a woman has thousands of eggs that are good enough for fertilization, they need to be in the proper shape and contain the right chromosomes for successful fertilization. If there is any problem at all with the quality of a woman’s eggs, this will lead to fertility problems.

• The immune system can also have an effect on fertility, and in some cases a body’s immune system can mistakenly kill its own egg cells. It may also occur in men, causing the system to attack sperms cells leading them to stick together and in some cases even die.

• Luteinized Unruptured Follicle Syndrome is another possible cause for unexplained infertility. In this condition the eggs can become trapped in the body’s sac, which has been designed by nature to protect the eggs. This tiny membrane is known as the follicle, which can sometimes trap the egg inside making ovulation impossible.

• Abnormal luteal phase is when the body produces problem levels of progesterone, which is needed to prepare the endometrial lining for implantation. When progesterone is not produced long enough, this can result in unexplained infertility.

• Unexplained infertility can also be caused by an infection, such as when a particle called t-strain mycoplasma hides in the body. It is difficult to determine the presence of this strain because it occurs in very small numbers and are difficult to diagnose.

If you have been diagnosed with this condition, your doctor will help you find a number of options to work through fertility.

It is generally recommended that if a woman is unable to get pregnant even after 6 months of trying, she should see a doctor about finding out what is the matter. The doctor will begin by checking the health and histories of both partners.

Semen may be checked to gauge the health of the sperm. Tests may have to be run if it is a lack of ovulation that is causing the infertility.

After isolating the factor responsible for the infertility, the following options may be tried:

Medications: Depending upon the cause for lack of ovulation, appropriate formulations may be prescribed: Clomid could be prescribed for problems with the pituitary gland or for PCOS.

The injectible Human Menopausal gonadotropin could also be used to stimulate ovulation. If a woman does not ovulate each month or is found to be ovulating before the maturity of the egg, gonadotropin releasing hormones may be prescribed.

Metformin is prescribed if a woman is seen to be resistant to insulin or has PCOS since it can reduce male hormone levels in women and help them ovulate. Sometimes it is high levels of Prolactin (milk producing hormone) that causes problems with ovulation, in which case Bromocriptine may be prescribed.

Intrauterine Insemination or Artificial Insemination: In this procedure, sperm is specially treated and then injected into the woman. This procedure is used when women have problems with cervical mucus that makes the area inhospitable for sperm.

Or it could be used when there is mild infertility or low sperm count found in the male partner. Sometimes it is not clear why conception is not taking place, and in case of unexplained infertility as well this method may be used. This method is sometimes used in conjunction with medications that encourage ovulation.

Assisted reproductive technology (ART): This is the term used to describe a number of different methods that could help infertile couples.

Embryos are prepared in the laboratory by taking the eggs from the woman and the sperm from the man. After the embryos are successfully created, they are then inserted into the woman’s uterus.

The kind of solution for infertility used is dependent on the cause of infertility, the age of the partners, and other circumstances.

The causes of female infertility could be hormonal, there could be problems with the uterus or the ovaries or there could be lifestyle related factors for this:

Lack of Ovulation: For ovulation to occur, a lot of bodily processes and hormone levels have to function properly. If however there are hormonal imbalances, ovulation will not occur, leading to infertility and the reasons are many:

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is the most common cause for the ovaries not being able to produce normal follicles for eggs to mature. Because the eggs produced are immature, fertilization and therefore conception cannot take place.

PCOS may manifest itself not only in symptoms such as the inability to get pregnant, but may also have other symptoms such as lack of monthly periods and excessive growth of hair.

Problems with the hypothalamus: Sometimes ovarian failure is caused by malfunctioning of part of the brain which sends the wrong signals to the pituitary gland and which impacts egg maturation.

Premature menopause or primary ovarian insufficiency is also another cause for lack of ovulation. Early menopause is when the ovaries stop working before a woman reaches the age of 40.

Physical problems with the uterus: Sometimes malformation of the uterus or congenital defects present in the uterus may prevent a woman from getting pregnant or may result in repeated miscarriages.

Fibroids and Polyps: These abnormalities in the uterus could also be responsible for a woman being unable to get pregnant.

Fallopian tubes could be blocked due to a number of disorders or diseases such as endometriosis, ectopic pregnancy or pelvic inflammatory disease which could result in the inability to get pregnant.

Abnormality of cervical mucus: Cervical mucus has to be of the consistency and composition that is hospitable to sperm or a pregnancy cannot result.

Lifestyle related issues: Many women wait until age 35 to have children, after which point, the number and quality of eggs in the ovaries is seen to deteriorate. Ability to conceive reduces and chances of miscarriage increase after this age.

Smoking and excess use of alcohol are seem to negatively impact fertility. Being underweight or overweight also lowers fertility. Many sexually transmitted diseases can cause infertility as well.

Let’s say that you are outdoors and you suddenly had a bad case of poison ivy. A friend, who is no medical expert, might advise you to use calamine lotion.

This is a medical myth that you should not believe, because the only thing that will help ease the pain associated with the case of poison ivy is steroid cream like Hydrocortisone. This is just one of the many medical myths which persist up to now.

If you don’t want your condition to get worse, then it is good to check first whether there is a truth behind a particular medical myth – just to be on the safe side[women's health myths] . The same thing holds true when it comes to infertility.

Unfortunately, despite the existence of happy couples who are perfectly happy with the children that the mother has conceived over the years of their marriage – there are still those who are tirelessly trying.

For some reason or another, they have not been given the chance to bear a child out of their marriage or relationship.

Now, if you are among these couples who are still trying to have a child, what are the top misconceptions that you should not take to heart? Read on to find out.

Enumerating the Top 8 Misconceptions about Infertility

Trying to have a baby and not succeeding is bad enough – so you shouldn’t add the burden of believing in what other people are saying when it comes to the subject of infertility.

Here are the top 8 misconceptions about infertility and the truth behind them:

1. “When a couple fails to have a child, it could be because It’s all in the head.“

When you mention to a couple who is trying to have a baby that it’s all in the head, it is actually quite an insensitive thing to say.

The reason why this myth persists is that there are couples who claim that for the longest time, they have consciously been trying to procreate – and they fail.

But once they stopped trying, that is when the woman ‘magically’ conceives. There is no truth to this myth at all.

Infertility is a medical condition wherein a couple is unable to produce an offspring. The reason for this could either be the physical inability of a woman to conceive, or the inability of a man to impregnate.

Sure, there might be some psychological factors which affect the capacity of a couple to conceive – but they are usually effects of not being able to bear a child, rather than its being the root cause of the problem.

2. “There must be something wrong with you if you cannot get pregnant, because why is everyone else so fertile?“

This is a common dilemma that women who are in their child bearing age face. Basically, the optimum age for women starts at 18 and ends at about 25.

Those who are in their late 20′s do have a declining fertility – and as you grow older, the decline becomes gradual.

So essentially, even those who are in the optimal child-bearing age can experience infertility problems. In fact, according to the Center for Disease Control, an estimated 10 to 15% of the female population does have infertility problems.

3.  ” If a couple has problems getting pregnant, it must be the woman who has the problem.”

This is yet another misconception about infertility that persists up to now.

Most people assume that just because it is the woman who gets pregnant, it is her who is at fault if she fails to have a child.

In a published article in the Journal of Urology, here are a couple of interesting statistics that men play when it comes to infertility:

1. In 20% of infertile couples, it is the man who is solely responsible for the problem of their inability to conceive.
2. In about 30 to 40% of infertile couples, men do have a contribution to the problem of the woman being unable to bear a child.

4. “Male fertility does not change with age.“

Although there are some men well into their 50′s, 60′s or even 70′s or 80′s who are still able to father a child, this does not mean that they will be fertile forever.

Experts say that a man’s fertility and the quality of his sperm decline as he reaches the age of 35.

Although the decline in fertility is less gradual as compared to women, it could still be the reason behind a couple’s inability to have children.

5. “Women who experienced painful or infrequent periods may be infertile.“

For this, you do need to check with a medical expert whether your painful or infrequent menstrual periods may have affected your ability to bear a child.

However, these are not necessarily a cause of a woman being infertile.

Watch out for progressively increasing painful periods because this may be a symptom of endometriosis.

6.  ” If you are infertile, it could be hereditary.“

If you have a close relative who is infertile – like your mother, sister or aunt – this does not necessarily mean that you will be infertile, too.

In most cases, infertility is not a hereditary condition –  although you do need to check with a medical expert so that there can be a complete evaluation of your particular case.

7. “Stress is a cause of infertility.“

Just like the myth which says that being infertile is all in the head, this misconception that stress is a cause of infertility is just that – a myth.

Although stress may contribute to a woman’s delayed ovulation, it does not necessarily lead to her being infertile.

8. “If you are over 35 and are trying to have a baby, you need to immediately seek treatment.“

As mentioned earlier, the fertility of a woman does decline as she ages.

However, there is no need for you to immediately seek treatment for infertility if you are trying at the age of 35.

Just keep on trying, don’t use birth control and wait for about six months.

If nothing happens by then, that is the time that you can seek the help of the medical experts.

This is unlike a younger couple who can wait for at least a year of trying to conceive before it is recommended that they get an expert’s opinion.

Many women have successfully conceived after giving up alcohol and caffeine intake.  According to Dr Emma Derbyshire, 32 per cent of those having trouble conceiving became pregnant by giving up stimulants compared to 33 per cent after IVF treatment.

“Quitting smoking is also very much important for woman who want to get pregnant and many studies confirm that smoking and unhealthy diet can delay the woman’s chances of getting pregnant”, she added.

Source: Daily Mail

The survey also revealed that 7 out of 10 childless women over the age of thirty worry about their fertility.

The survey by Red magazine found that while delaying motherhood for a variety of reasons, women have it in “the back of their minds” they can try IVF if they fail to conceive naturally.

This is despite half of women who try IVF needing three or more cycles of treatment, suggesting more difficulties than they anticipated. The average cost of fertility treatment was £6,638 per woman.

In one in six cases, would-be grand parents are helping to pay the bills, but many women said that would be willing to pay double if a baby could be guaranteed.

Source: Daily Mail

In infertile women, FSH is often used to stimulate the ovaries to produce several eggs, followed by intrauterine insemination (injection of sperm into the uterus).

Dr. Mohamed A. Bedaiwy  and colleagues from the Toronto Center for Advanced Reproductive Technologies, Toronto, took a look back at a group of infertile women aged 40 and older who had controlled ovarian stimulation using FSH alone or in combination with Femara, followed by intrauterine insemination.

The researchers reported that the pregnancy rates were comparable in the two groups with seventeen of 90 women (18.9%) in the Femara/FSH arm and 13 of 69 (18.8%) in the FSH only arm became pregnant.

Read more news at Reuters

Most common causes for secondary infertility include: ovulation problems, pelvic adhesions, polyps,  uterine fibroids endometriosis [endometriosis symptoms].

How to prevent secondary infertility?

• Keep an eye on your weight. Most women will gain weight after delivering a baby. Excess weight gain is the most common problem for women to conceive again.
• Get infections to be treated as early as possible to prevent secondary infertility. Most of the time, vaginal infection can cause infertility.
• Don’t wait longer than 2-3 years to conceive again after the initial pregnancy. Age is the most common cause for infertility problems. Waiting too longer to conceive again causes problems in conceiving naturally.
• Usually, women with children have high stress levels. Avoiding stress, a well-balanced diet, regular physical activity and relaxation are the most important solutions for preventing secondary infertility.

Finally, secondary infertility causes stress, frustration, sadness, and loss for most couples. If you or your partner is facing this condition, it is essential to learn all you can through some reputable organizations, resources and attain the support you need for making the best decisions for you and your family.

For example, most students were unaware that some sexually transmitted infections can cause infertility problems.

“About 80 percent of students said they were familiar with the term infertility,” Susan Quach, of Sunnybrook and Women’s College Hospital Fertility Center in Toronto, told.

But when asked more specific infertility-related questions, fewer students answered correctly, indicating a lack of knowledge that may increase their risk of infertility later in life, Quash said.

For example, more than 94 percent of the students did not know that sexually transmitted infections, such as chlamydia or gonorrhea can lead to infertility, Quash and co-investigator Dr. Clifford Librach at the University of Toronto report in the journal Fertility and Sterility.

The researchers asked 772 ethnically diverse high school students to complete a written questionnaire designed to determine their knowledge of and attitudes about infertility. The students were 17.5 years old, on average, and 49 percent were female.

A total of 608 students completed the questionnaire and, as noted, the vast majority did not know that chlamydia and gonorrhea can lead to infertility. About 25 percent thought fertility problems only occurred among women 40 years or older.

Read more at Yahoo News