A study of 15,000 people in the UK found that one in eight women is likely to be infertile. Most of these women are expected to remain undiagnosed until they try to have a baby.
Premenopause is the time before a woman’s ovaries stop producing eggs. Infertility is when a heterosexual couple cannot conceive after 12 months of regular, unprotected sex. While “regular intercourse” can mean different things, most medical experts define it as having sex two or more times per week.
The type of female infertility treatment you may need premenopause will typically depend on your diagnosed condition and underlying root cause. The most common conditions, root causes and probable treatment type are outlined below:
Ovarian Dysfunction
This is the most common condition causing infertility in women before menopause. Present medical understanding of the female reproductive system suggests that women are born with their complete lifetime reserve eggs (usually a few million), all of which rest in the ovaries from the time of birth. This egg population is thought to decline steadily as hundreds of immature eggs die every month in a normal menstrual cycle.
Ovarian dysfunction can be caused by any difficulty with the regulation of hormones required for reproduction or by other issues in the ovaries.
Common root causes are:
- – Stress
- – Overweight & Obesity
- – Ovarian cancer and resulting chemotherapy
- – Several genetic defects
- – Ovarian cysts
- – Anovulation.
- – Diminished ovarian reserve
- – Early menopause
Common treatment options recommended by guysandstthomas private healthcare include hormonal imbalance correction and ovulation stimulation using drugs and supplements, or weight loss if the woman is overweight.
Fallopian tube Dysfunction
Fertilisation of the eggs usually happens just outside the ovaries, inside the fallopian tube. During each menstrual cycle, one mature egg is released into the fallopian tube. It then begins its journey to the uterus. Sperm cells, released earlier, travel up the tube and try to fertilize the egg. If successful, the fertilised egg continues its journey down the tube into the uterus where it attempts to implant itself in the lining of the uterus where it will continue its development. If the fallopian tubes are damaged, blocked or simply cannot function properly, it may make conception difficult.
Common root causes of Fallopian tube dysfunction are:
- – Endometriosis
- – Pelvic adhesions
- – Pelvic inflammatory disease (usually as a result of chlamydia)
- – Pelvic tuberculosis
- – Previous ectopic pregnancy
Common treatment options recommended by guysandstthomas private healthcare include surgical procedures for the repair of the fallopian tubes and assisted conception methods like intrauterine insemination (IUI) or in vitro fertilisation (IVF).
Womb or Uterine Dysfunction
After the fertilised egg arrives at the womb, it will attempt to implant itself in the lining of the wall. It could fail in this quest because of structural imperfections of the womb caused by malformation, infection or growths like fibroids or because of imperfections in the lining of the wall itself.
Common root causes of uterine dysfunction are:
- – Fibroids
- – Malformed womb
- – Uncategorised implantation failure
- – Uterine Scarring
Common treatment options recommended by guysandstthomas private healthcare include surgical procedures for the removal of scar tissue or large fibroid growths.
Infertility is a huge concern for premenopause women looking to procreate. If you’ve been trying for a while without success, it’s a good idea to see your doctor. Get tested to find out if you need help balancing your hormones or clearing and treating your fallopian tubes or womb.