Infertility - Hormone Optimal Care

What is infertility?

Infertility refers to the inability to conceive a child or carry a pregnancy to full term after having regular, unprotected sexual intercourse for at least a year. It affects an estimated 1 in 8 couples in the United States.

The causes of infertility can involve one or both partners. Contributing factors may include:

• Age - Fertility gradually declines as women get older, especially after age 35. It may also decrease for men over age 40.
• Hormonal problems - Issues with hormones that regulate ovulation in women or sperm production in men can hamper fertility.
• Structural issues - Uterine fibroids, endometriosis, fallopian tube blockage, or issues with the sperm ducts can make it difficult to conceive.
• Chronic health issues - Medical conditions like polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), cancer, and autoimmune or metabolic disorders are tied to infertility.
• Lifestyle factors - Being overweight or underweight, smoking, heavy alcohol use, stress, and other lifestyle factors can negatively impact fertility.

If you've been trying to get pregnant unsuccessfully for over a year, I'd recommend seeing a fertility specialist. The expert physicians at Hormone Optimal Care offer compassionate care and innovative solutions for hormonal issues, structural problems, and other factors causing infertility. Their holistic approach looks at lifestyle, genetics, hormones, and anatomy to develop a customized treatment plan ranging from fertility drugs to IVF and beyond to help you build your family.

Diagnosis typically begins with physical exams and medical histories of both partners. Further testing might include:

• Hormone level tests - Measuring hormones like FSH, estrogen, testosterone, progesterone, etc.
• Ovulation tests - Using urine or blood tests to confirm ovulation is occurring.
• Imaging tests - Hysterosalpingography, transvaginal ultrasound, MRI, and other imaging assessments check for uterine and structural issues.
• Genetic testing - Analyzing genes and chromosomes for abnormalities causing infertility.
• Sperm analysis - Evaluating sperm health parameters like count, shape, motility.

Once the cause(s) have been determined with thorough diagnostic testing, the fertility specialist will outline a customized treatment plan that fits your needs. The exceptional team at Hormone Optimal Care provides highly personalized care, using the latest technological breakthroughs to help you overcome infertility. Common options may include:

• Medications - Fertility drugs for hormonal regulation, ovulation induction, etc.
• Surgery - Laparoscopy to correct structural issues like fibroids or endometriosis.
• Assisted reproductive technology (ART) - IUI, IVF with your own or donor eggs/sperm, gestational carrier, etc.

With today's many resources for family building, infertility is no longer an insurmountable obstacle for most couples. Schedule an appointment at Hormone Optimal Care to get started on your path to parenthood!