Reasons why a woman cannot get pregnant

Infertility is inability to conceive children or when the reproductive prevent the conception of children.

CAUSES OF INFERTILITY
There are several possible causes of infertility. Seeing a doctor that specializes in infertility can help you figure out what’s causing your fertility problems and find the best treatments for you. Sometimes there’s no known reason for infertility — this is called unexplained infertility. Unexplained infertility can be really frustrating, but there are still usually treatment options that you can try.

1 . CHLAMYDIA AND FEMALE FERTILITY
If left untreated, chlamydia can spread and infect other parts of the female reproductive system, in particular the uterus and fallopian tubes, which can result in pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). With one in five women with chlamydia developing PID, chlamydia is the most common cause of infertility in women.

PID sometimes develops without causing symptoms and just like chlamydia, it is often diagnosed too late. Over time, the disease causes blocking or scarring to the fallopian tubes, which leads to infertility as well as miscarriage, premature birth and stillbirth.

In other cases, PID can lead to an ectopic pregnancy, which represents a serious health risk for the mother.

POSSIBLE SOLUTION :Get treated of any sexual transmitted diseases

2 . OVULATION PROBLEMS
An ovulation problem occurs when eggs don't mature in the ovaries or when the ovaries fail to release a mature egg. This is sometimes known as premature ovarian failure . Ovulation problems are common in women with infertility.

Possible symptoms: Absent or infrequent periods , unusually light or heavy menstrual bleeding, or lack of such premenstrual symptoms as bloating or breast tenderness.

POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS: Managing body weight if it's too low or too high, taking fertility drugs (with or without artificial insemination ), and having in vitro fertilization (IVF) .

SUCCESS RATES: Thirty to 40 percent of women taking clomiphene citrate to induce ovulation become pregnant by the third treatment cycle. When fertility drugs to increase egg production are combined with artificial insemination, the pregnancy rate is between 10 and 20 percent per treatment cycle.

 The percentage of IVF treatment cycles resulting in a live birth (in which one or more babies are born) is about:
40 percent for women age 34 and under

31 percent for women age 35 to 37

21 percent for women age 38 to 40

11 percent for women age 41 to 42

5 percent for women age 43 and over

3 . BLOCKED FALLOPIAN TUBES
Fallopian tubes are a pair of very thin ducts stuck to the both sides of uterus. These fallopian tubes connect ovaries with uterus transporting eggs from ovaries to uterus where fertilization takes place. Sometimes, infections or scarring from previous surgical treatments causes blocked fallopian tubes and women are no longer able to conceive naturally.
Blocked fallopian tubes also known as tubal blockage is a major cause of infertility in women, because it can prevent pregnancy from occurring.

Infertility in women due to blocked fallopian tube or hydrosalpinx is a matter of serious concern. Usually women have normal periods without any stomach pain or symptom and it is shocking for them when they learn about their fallopian tubes being blocked. Until they go for medical test they might not know about the tubal blockage, salpingitis or blocked fallopian tube obstruction.

Causes Of Blocked Fallopian Tubes
There are a number of reasons that contribute to the fallopian tubes blockage such as:
-Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID)

-Family planning (remains of birth prevention drugs may block fallopian tubes)

-Bacterial infections such as Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhea
Continuous abortions may also damage fallopian tubes

-Past Surgery could cause Scarring, Adhesion, Scar tissues

-Reoccurrence Infection and Ectopic pregnancy tighten fallopian tubes

-Trauma leads towards blocked fallopian tubes

-Unhygienic delivery may also damage 

fallopian tubes

-Endometriosis and tightness of organs nearby fallopian tubes cause vaginal infection

-Ruptured appendix and abdominal surgery may also block fallopian tubes

POSSIBLE SOLUTION :Tubal surgery and other medical treatments are available consult your doctor.

4.EGG QUALITY
A common cause of infertility in women is poor egg quality. If you are worried that the quality of your eggs may have something to do with your difficulties in becoming pregnant, read on. Infertility help is available. Poor egg quality does not have to be the end of your chances for pregnancy – a variety of unique fertility treatments are available to help you achieve your pregnancy.

What is Egg Quality?
All women have a finite number of eggs in their body which, when released during ovulation, can be fertilized to produce a child. Most people believe that all that matters when you are trying to get pregnant is the number of eggs you have – as long as you have a lot of eggs, you’ll get pregnant. Unfortunately, this is not the case. True, the number of eggs that you have does matter, but so does the quality of those eggs. Together, the number and quality of your eggs are referred to as your ovarian reserve.

Egg quality refers to how prepared your eggs are to develop into embryos once they are fertilized. In order to be healthy enough to develop, an egg needs to have the proper chromosomes and the ability to combine those chromosomes with sperm. Some eggs in your body just don’t have the right number of chromosomes, making it impossible to have a successful pregnancy.

The eggs in your ovaries also need energy in order to split after fertilization. Your eggs contain mitochondria, which are tiny cell organelles that provide the energy for the egg. Without mitochondria, your egg wouldn’t have the energy to survive. As you age, these mitochondria produce less and less energy. As a result, any egg that is fertilized will eventually run out of energy and will be unable to divide.

What Causes Poor Egg Quality?
Egg quality is greatly affected by your age. In your 20s and early 30s, you should have a large number of good quality eggs available for fertilization. Yes, you will have a few bad eggs too, but the good ones should vastly outweigh them. However, as you age your eggs will begin to decline in quality as well as in number. By the time you are in your late 30s or early 40s, you will probably have more poor quality eggs available than good quality eggs.

How does Egg Quality affect Fertility?
Egg quality has a huge impact on your fertility. If you have poor quality eggs, you will probably have a difficult time getting pregnant and staying pregnant.

The impact of poor quality eggs is reflected in the general decline in pregnancy rates as women age. Women between the ages of 15 and 25 have a 40% chance of conceiving every cycle. Women who are over 40 however, have less than a 25% chance of becoming pregnant naturally. This is due to the fact that women who are older tend to have fewer eggs and eggs of a poorer quality.

Poorer quality eggs can be one of the major causes of infertility in a number of ways. Firstly, poor quality eggs can make conceiving a child very difficult. If a baby is conceived, a poor quality egg can make the difference between carrying your baby to term or losing it in the first few weeks. Many poor quality eggs do not implant properly into the uterus once they are fertilized. Others implant properly but are simply not healthy enough to grow and divide, resulting in a miscarriage.

POSSIBLE SOLUTION:Using fertility drugs is one way to possibly increase the quantity and quality of your eggs. Typical female infertility drugs include clomiphene and bromocriptine.

In vitro fertilization is another treatment option. However, if your eggs are of too poor quality, you may be encouraged to use an egg donor.

5.SHAPE OF THE UTERUS
What are uterine abnormalities?
Uterine abnormalities are structural problems with the uterus that are either congenital (from birth) or acquired from infection, surgery or other problems. These abnormalities can lead to infertility and difficulties in carrying a pregnancy. Other factors that affect the uterus, such as Asherman’s syndrome (scar tissue acquired via surgery or infection) and uterine fibroids, can hamper fertility, but these generally are not considered uterine abnormalities.

It’s not known how many women have uterine abnormalities, as many women are not aware they have the condition until they present with a problem, such as infertility, and the abnormality is found as part of the evaluation to determine a cause for infertility. It’s estimated that one in 13 women who are infertile have uterine abnormalities.

The uterus is normally about three inches long, two inches wide and one inch from front to back. The lower part is called the cervix and connects the uterus to the vagina. The upper part is called the fundus and that is where the embryo implants in pregnancy. A uterus that does not conform to this structure is often due to an abnormality from birth (congenital), also called Müllerian abnormalities, which are the most common.

Birth abnormalities are caused when the uterus and vagina do not fully combine in the middle when the female fetus is developing in the womb. Types of congenital uterine abnormalities include:

Agenesis – uterus does not form properly, possibly not at all

Uterus didelphys – uterus has two small, separate cavities, each with its own cervix

Unicornuate uterus – half the size of a normal uterus and has a horn shape (unicorn), which can happen when only half the uterus forms, with only one fallopian tube (surgery is not an option to make the uterus larger)

Bicornuate uterus – heart shaped rather than pear shaped uterus, in which the uterus has two cavities (spaces) instead of one large cavity; most women with this condition don’t need surgery to repair it

Septate uterus – the inside of the uterus is separated by a fibrous wall of muscle or tissue, dividing the uterus into two sections; this is the most common congenital uterine abnormality, and can cause women to have repeat miscarriages

Arcuate uterus – slight indentation at the top of the uterus.

Symptoms of uterine abnormalities
Most uterine abnormalities do not cause symptoms, and many women might not know they have uterine abnormalities until discovered during an ultrasound or pelvic exam. If women have symptoms, they may include:
Never having a period.

Abdominal pain with or without bleeding during menses

Recurrent miscarriages

Irregular bleeding during periods

Infertility

Pain during intercourse.

POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS :Not all uterine abnormalities require treatment. Surgical treatment is an option for women who experience uterine bleeding that cannot be treated with medication or hormone therapy. If women with uterine abnormalities experience pain during menses or recurrent miscarriages, their doctor might recommend a minimally invasive surgical procedure such as a hysteroscopy or laparoscopy.

6. ENDOMETRIOSIS
The endometrium is the tissue that lines the inside of the uterine cavity. Endometriosis is a disease state in which some of this tissue has spread elsewhere - such as to the ovaries, or elsewhere in the abdominal cavity.

Endometriosis causes pain in some women and can also cause infertility .

5-10% of all women have endometriosis. Most of these women are not infertile.
30-40% of infertile women have endometriosis.

Some of the symptoms are:
Heavy menstruation with pain, large clots

long or abnormal length of cycles

Lower abdominal pain, back pain, burning pain over the site

Frequent or constant pain all month long

Painful sexual intercourse

Pain during bowel movement or urination

Dysmenorrhea

Ovarian swelling

Swollen abdomen

Infertility

In rare cases some women may experience bleeding after intercourse, bowel movements, or urination. 

Endometriosis can have a huge impact on fertility, being blamed for 35-50% of fertility issues in women. This is two to three times the rate of infertility in the general population.

Risk Factors
There are a variety of risk factors for the development of endometriosis. Here are the main risk factors:

Too much estrogen/too little progesterone

Genetic predisposition

Too much conventional meat

Radiation and EMF’s

An abnormality in the immune system

Exposure to environmental toxins

Benign uterine fibroids. 

What Causes Endometriosis?
Doctors and Scientists don’t really know for sure what causes endometriosis. Research shows that there are many different factors in the development of this condition, which makes it complex, with possibly many different origins. Because researchers cannot find one direct link to the cause, it also makes it very difficult to treat.

POSSIBLE SOLUTION:Surgery
Doctors will often suggest laparoscopic or abdominal surgery to remove the endometrial lesions, scar tissue damaged areas and clip away adhesions if possible. The best surgical option today, for endometriosis, is the advanced surgical technique known as excision surgery . Excision surgery aims at removing the roots of the disease

Hormonal and Pain Medications
Doctors may prescribe hormonal medications.

 The purpose is to stop the menstrual cycle to prevent further growth of the endometrial tissues. This may also help to reduce pain. If pain is still present they may prescribe pain medications. Hormonal medications alter the natural menstrual cycle and may prevent pregnancy. They all come with a variety of side effects. Also eating nutrients dense Fertility diet and avoid or limit certain foods.

7 . UTERINE FIBROID
It’s a medical fact that most women will have fibroids during their life time. Usually, fibroid development occurs when a woman is in her thirties and forties. In the past, women of this age would have already completed a family. But today, many women have children later in life. It’s common to start a family in your thirties or even forties, rather than in your twenties. This makes understanding the potential relationship between fibroids and infertility very important.

Uterine Fibroids (proper medical terminology is myoma or leiomyoma)

Fibroids are very common - they are benign (non cancerous) tumors of the uterine muscle. The size and location of the fibroid are important. The large majority of them are very small or located in an area of the uterus such that they will not have any impact on reproductive function.

Fibroids can be as small as a pea or as large as a football. Having uterine fibroids does not increase your risk of cancer. They are almost always benign, no matter how large they get.

Fibroids have different names depending on where they grow:

The most common type of fibroids develop within the muscle wall of your uterus. These are called intramural fibroids . They can make your uterus appear bigger, and can cause heavy or painful periods and fertility problems.
Fibroids that grow just under the inner lining of your uterus (endometrium) are called

submucosal fibroids . They can alter the lining of your uterus and reduce your fertility. Submucosal fibroids can also cause heavy or painful periods.

Fibroids that grow on the outside of your uterus are called subserosal fibroids . They may bulge or extend into your pelvis, putting pressure on your bladder or bowel.

Cervical fibroids develop in the neck of your uterus (cervix).

Submucosal and subserosal fibroids may grow from a stalk (pedunculated). They may stick out into your uterus or into your pelvic area. If a fibroid or cluster of fibroids is particularly large or is growing on the outside of the uterine wall, it can push the uterus aside or force it to grow abnormally.

Let’s start with the positive part. Many women will have fibroids that won’t hurt their chances of having children. The fibroids may stay small, or occur in areas that don’t affect the reproductive system. But certain fibroids will have a profound effect on the ability to conceive, stay pregnant and carry a baby to term.

Depending on where they are located, fibroids may prevent sperm and egg from meeting for conception. Fibroids can hamper the ability of an embryo to implant. They often grow in places or to sizes that make it challenging for a pregnancy to continue. Fibroids may even affect the health and welfare of the fetus.

How do fibroids hurt the ability to have a baby? The answer has a lot to do with where in the uterus the fibroids are located.

Fibroids can reduce your fertility in these ways:
Fibroids that change the shape of your cervix can affect the number of sperm able to enter the uterus.

Fibroids that block the Fallopian tubes can make the journey of a fertilized egg to implantation difficult or impossible.

Fibroids which change the shape of your uterus may decrease the number of places an embryo can successfully implant or reduce uterine space needed for embryo development.

Fibroids that weaken the lining of the uterine cavity or decrease the blood supply to a growing embryo can cause miscarriage.

POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS:Uterine Fibroid Embolization . Embolization shrinks fibroids instead of cutting them out. It is a minimally invasive, non-surgical procedure. It works by blocking the blood supply to each fibroid, ending its ability to thrive and grow. 

Embolization doesn’t involve cutting or cause any scarring. And embolization is extremely precise. It addresses only fibroids, leaving all other tissue healthy and whole. As the fibroids shrink, so do the fertility problems they create.

Removing fibroids to improve the chance for conception and pregnancy may be recommended to you. Often, a doctor will suggest a surgery called ‘myomectomy’.
Myomectomy cuts out existing fibroids. While this form of fibroid removal is fairly common, it has several drawbacks.

What might increase my risk of infertility?
There are certain health and lifestyle factors that can increase your chances of having fertility problems. They include:

* being older than 35 (for women)

* being very overweight or underweight

* chemotherapy or radiation

* lots of exposure to environmental toxins, like lead or pesticides

* excessive drug or alcohol use

* smoking cigarettes

* not getting recommended testing for chlamydia/gonorrhea

* overheated testicles (from wearing clothing that’s too tight, or swimming or bathing in hot water often and recently)

* a history of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)

* injury to the scrotum or testes

* having an undescended testicle