Why a couple is childless and how modern medicine treats this problem

Why a couple is childless and how modern medicine treats this problem

Talking to a doctor-reproductologist about infertility in women and men, its causes and ways of treatment

– How common is the problem of infertility? After a long period of examination and treatment can a couple be considered childless?

– Infertility is a condition when, despite one year of regular unprotected sex, pregnancy does not occur. Just 15 years ago, every ninth couple was childless, but today, every sixth child is infertile, and this number is constantly growing, although reproductive technologies are constantly evolving and improving, allowing for pregnancy even in cases that would have been completely unthinkable a few years ago. . It is noteworthy that male infertility has increased dramatically compared to previous years and has equaled female infertility.

– Talk about the causes of infertility, diagnosis and treatment methods.

– Infertility is not a disease and, like many other diseases, it is impossible to treat with a single, standard scheme. In order to effectively treat infertility, first of all, it is necessary to identify and / or exclude its causes – ie diagnosis.

There are frequent cases when the patient says that she has nothing to worry about, all the examinations have been performed, everything is normal, but the pregnancy still does not happen. When I look at its history, it turns out that the couple has indeed done a lot of research, but, in many cases, has not done the main and necessary.

– What basic examinations should all infertile couples undergo?

First of all, let’s imagine a simple mechanism of pregnancy: in a woman’s ovary, in each menstrual cycle, one egg matures, which comes out in the middle of the cycle to meet the sperm, the egg first enters the abdomen, then the tube, , Where the egg and sperm meet each other and fertilization takes place. The fertilized egg arrives in the uterus, attaches to the wall of the uterine cavity, and pregnancy begins.

According to this scheme, pregnancy tests should be performed in these three main areas:

1. To assess the function of the ovaries, the quality of the eggs, which is directly related to a woman’s age, this requires gynecological ultrasound and examination of several hormones.

2. Investigate the quality of male sperm. As it is known, a man needs only one examination and that is a spermogram.

3. It is the examination of the female reproductive organs, ie the environment in which the events necessary for pregnancy take place: the “meeting” of the egg and the sperm, fertilization, the formation and attachment of the embryo. There are various methods of examining the reproductive organs, however the most informative and effective are laparoscopy and hysteroscopy.

Infection

Contrary to popular belief, I would like to point out that infection does not directly cause infertility. Infection results in healing in a woman’s reproductive organs, which can later lead to infertility. Healing is not a pathology, it is a physiological, a kind of protective reaction of the organism to the presence of infection – in response to the infection, the organism produces e. წ. Healing “barriers”. If these healings have developed in a woman’s reproductive organs, particularly the fallopian tubes, ovaries, and uterus, they may prevent the egg and sperm from moving, “meeting,” fertilizing, and / or attaching the embryo, so pregnancy does not occur.

Artificial abortion

Changes resulting from artificial abortion may cause infertility, particularly if healing has developed after abortion or uterine tissue has been damaged. In addition, abortion is a significant stress for the female hormonal system.

Hormonal disorder

Hormonal disorders cause ovarian dysfunction, which is manifested by anovulation – that is, the egg does not mature and “release”. Thus, the simple scheme necessary for pregnancy, which you mentioned above, is violated, so pregnancy does not occur. There are many types of hormonal disorders, however the most common of these in women with infertility problems is polycystic ovary syndrome. It is characterized by structurally altered ovaries, anovulation, frequent miscarriage, excess weight, obesity.

Getting pregnant during polycystic ovaries is complicated by the fact that the eggs are unable to leave the ovary – ovulation does not occur. In the management of polycystic ovaries we mainly use medical treatment, sometimes even laparoscopic intervention, the approach is individual. The chances of achieving pregnancy with proper management of polycystic ovaries are quite high.

All these questions were asked to a qualified doctor-reproductive specialist, who gave comprehensive answers to all the current problems related to infertility.