What You’ve Never Been Told About Female Infertility

If you and your partner are trying to start a family but haven’t gotten pregnant yet, you may be feeling discouraged, especially if you’ve been diligent about having sex frequently during fertile windows and tracking your cycles. 

Infertility is defined as the inability to become pregnant after one year of trying, or six months of trying if you’re over the age of 35. And when infertility strikes, it can be hard to know how to process it and what to do next. 

Some of the most important things to remember about infertility are that you’re not alone and that lots of help is available to you. Infertility isn’t often openly talked about in social circles, so it’s been easy for misinformation to spread about it, especially when it comes to female infertility. 

Our team, led by Karen Mass, MD, FACOG, at Women’s Specialty Care in Lake Forest and Grayslake, Illinois, is passionate about providing expert and compassionate care for women (and their partners) who are navigating infertility. 

In this month’s blog, we discuss some facts you may not know about female infertility to provide help and hope on your journey to expand your family. 

You’re not alone

As previously stated, infertility is certainly not something only you and your partner have experienced, even if it may feel that way. The National Institute of Health (NIH) estimates that 11% of women struggle with fertility issues, not to mention that 12-15% of couples are unable to conceive after a year of trying to get pregnant. 

Although it can feel isolating at times, infertility is something many women (and couples) deal with, and sometimes knowing you aren’t the only one can be incredibly comforting. 

The cause isn’t always clear

Trouble ovulating is the top cause of female infertility, but so many other things can play a role in conception difficulties. These include having hormone imbalances, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), endometriosis, damaged fallopian tubes, and issues with your cervical mucus. But, unfortunately, in up to 30% of cases, the exact cause of infertility is never found.

We also think it’s important to note that infertility isn’t just an issue that affects women alone. Infertility affects 9% of men as well, making it a fairly evenly distributed health concern. 

You have a wide range of treatment options

It’s commonly believed that the only way to get pregnant when you deal with infertility is either through in vitro fertilization (IVF) or egg donation. But this is simply not true. While these are certainly viable options for conceiving a child, they’re rarely, if ever, the first treatment choice.

The NIH states that 85-90% of couples who seek help with infertility can conceive through more conventional treatments such as medications or surgery. So, rest assured that more complicated and time-consuming measures such as IVF and egg donation aren’t always required to get pregnant.

It’s important to create a support network

While going through fertility treatments, it’s important to seek support from others, including close friends and family members. In addition, our team can help you find local support groups for other women and couples experiencing infertility. Getting emotional support can relieve some stress and strain that often comes with finding and treating causes of infertility. 

Whether you’re just starting to seek infertility treatment or you’ve been on this journey for some time, effective and compassionate care is available to you at Women’s Specialty Care. Our team is passionate about discovering the root cause and finding a treatment that works best for you. 

For an infertility evaluation, simply schedule an appointment over the phone or online today.