Blogs
Infertility Treatment in Men and Women
Infertility is defined as the inability to conceive even after having unprotected sex for a year. However, this is only one side of the story. As per study, in 40% of the cases, the infertility problem lies with a man and in 20% of the cases, both the parties are infertile.
How does a sexologist or a gynecologist determine if a person is infertile?
Diagnosing infertility in a man
- Your doctor will usually start with a set of questions directed towards your lifestyle, food habits, medical history etc.
- That will be followed by a physical examination of the genitals and the abdominal region.
- Sperm analysis needs to be done to determine the sperm count, health of sperms, shape of sperms and their ability to swim through.
Diagnosing infertility in a woman
- A brief questionnaire will be the first thing for you to answer that may include your ovulation/menstrual cycle questions.
- A physical examination of the pelvis region
- Blood tests to know the hormone levels, ultrasound tests for ovaries, uterus and fallopian tubes.
In most cases, the problem is due to irregular ovulation of the woman or blockage of fallopian tubes. (In cases where the infertility problem lies with the woman). In 5% to 15% of the cases, your doctor might not be able to find the problem for infertility in either.
Treating infertility in men
Treatment of infertility in men depends on the cause.
- Problem with erection and ejaculation is treated with counselling and medications.
- Testosterone Therapy may be an option when the testosterone levels are lower than required.
- If the reproductive organs are infected resulting in lower production of healthy sperms, the condition will be treated with antibiotics.
- Surgery may be an option when the sperm ducts are obstructed for any reason or if there is a varicocele present or even in the case of testicular torsion.
When the medications and even a surgical procedure doesn’t help the man in getting her healthy female partner pregnant, testicular sperm aspiration (TESA) may be an option. In this procedure, your sexologist / gynecologist takes out the tissue or sperm from the testicles. Hot spots of sperms are located under a microscope and sperms are extracted and used to fertilize the egg of his partner.
Treating infertility in a women
- If the woman is not ovulating as per her regular menstrual cycle and if the doctor doesn’t find any problem with the uterus or the fallopian tubes, fertility drugs and hormones will be used to treat the problem.
- If the irregular menstruation or heavy periods is due to the presence of fibroids, problem with endometrial layer (inner lining of the uterus) or due to PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome), appropriate surgery will be performed or medication (including hormones) may be prescribed.
If none of the treatments including medicines and surgery could help the woman in conceiving, assisted reproduction will be an option.
- IUI – IntraUterine Insemination – As the name suggests, the sperms of the man are taken and directly injected into the uterus of the woman. This is typically done when the sperms are not able to swim to the uterus. (This can be due to the thickness of liquids in the cervix or if the sperms are not able to survive inside the womans body or if there sperms are not active or well formed and able to swim.)
- IVF – InVitro Fertilization. In this procedure, the sperms and egg are collected fertilized in the lab. A few days after fertilization, the fertilized egg (embryo) will be placed in the womb (uterus) of the woman.
- GIFT (Gamete IntraFallopian Transfer) and ZIFT (Zygote IntraFallopian Transfer). In this procedure, the fertilized egg ffrom the lap is quickly placed in the fallopian tube of the woman.
- Surrogacy – This is an option wherein the fertilized egg is placed in the uterus of another woman preferably from the same family or into the womb of a suitable surrogate. There are strict rules and regulations to be followed in India if a couple wants to go for surrogacy.
Are there any natural treatment options to treat infertility?
Natural treatment options for infertility depend on the type of the problem in a man or a woman. There are several herbs and supplements that can help in boosting testosterone and sperm production. Plant based foods and supplements can also help in treating erectile dysfunction and ejaculation problems to some extent. Similarly in women, certain herbal medicines can help in treating pcos and ovulation related problems. However, not all infertility issues can be treated naturally.
If you, as a couple, have been trying to conceive since a year and in vain, you need to see a good gynecologist near you and get the right treatment started.