Causes of infertility in women

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Causes of infertility in women

After weddings, the most common questions that couples get is “when is the baby coming”. This is a serious breach of privacy but a good question.

What we don’t seem to understand is that not everyone is able to have a baby for one reason or the other. There are a number of different causes of infertility that can impact a patient’s ability to get pregnant. Infertility can be caused by the male, the female or involve both partners. Below we have explained some of the more common causes of female infertility.

Fibroid Tumors

Benign fibroid tumours in the uterus are extremely common in women over 30. In rare cases, they can cause infertility by interfering with the uterine cavity, blocking the fallopian tubes, or altering the position of the cervix and preventing sperm from reaching the uterus.

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (also called Stein-Leventhal Syndrome) is a hormonal disorder that affects approximately six to ten percent of pre-menstrual women and is the major cause of infertility in women. Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome is the result of the overproduction of hormones in a woman’s body.

Also Read: @5 Signs of infertility in women

Endometriosis

Endometriosis is believed to be quite common. It is estimated that between 25% and 50% of women with infertility have endometriosis.

Endometriosis develops when fragments of the endometrial lining are implanted in other areas of the pelvis. These endometrial, or misplaced tissue implants will still respond to a woman’s monthly hormonal cycle, causing pain and discomfort, slowly increasing in number and size with each menstrual cycle and eventually causing scarring and inflammation.

Endometrial implants in the ovaries or fallopian tubes are particularly likely to cause infertility, even if the endometriosis is mild.

Premature Ovarian Failure (POF)

Sometimes referred to as “premature menopause”, is a loss of ovarian function in women under 40 years of age. Periods stop, estrogen is low, and the follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) level is elevated. Some women may experience premature ovarian failure because of adrenal, pituitary, or thyroid deficiencies.