Infertility
QUICK FACTS ABOUT
INFERTILITY
-
Infertility is NOT an inconvenience;
it is a disease of the reproductive system that impairs
the body's ability to perform the basic function of
reproduction.
-
Infertility affects about 5.3
million people in the U.S. -- about nine percent of the
reproductive age population.
-
Infertility affects men and women
equally.
-
Most infertility cases -- 85% to 90%
-- are treated with conventional medical therapies such
as medication or surgery.
-
While vital for some patients, in
vitro fertilization and similar treatments account for
less than 5% of infertility services, and only three
hundredths of one percent (.003%) of U.S. health care
costs.
Overcoming
Infertility
(From the PDR Family Guide to Women's Health Chapter
18
)
Hypofertile couples have trouble conceiving quickly.
Their fertility may be less than ideal or they may be having
problems with timing, but they can eventually conceive
without special treatment. For example, the man might have a
low sperm count, or the woman might have
endometriosis—roadblocks, but not brick
walls.
Sterile couples won't be able to conceive without
medical or surgical treatment. For example, the man might not
create enough sperm to fertilize an egg, or the woman might
have blocked fallopian tubes.
[more]
Infertility's Many
Causes
A poorly functioning male reproductive
system is the problem for 30 to 40 percent of couples seeking
help for infertility. Another 30 to 40 percent of fertility
problems are caused by a malfunction in the female system....
[more]
Improving Your
Chances
-
Ovulation—prime time for
fertilization—occurs in mid to late
morning.
-
The best time to have intercourse is
on the day or evening before ovulation.
-
You should lie still for about 10
minutes after intercourse to give the sperm that have
entered the vagina enough time to proceed through the
cervix.
-
Having intercourse at least 3 times
during the week you expect to ovulate raises the odds
that sperm will be present in the fallopian tubes when
ovulation occurs.
-
....
[more]
Next:
Tests For
Infertility
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