INFERTILITY AWARENESS WEEK

 Once again, I'm doing a blog post about something I don't personally struggle with, but a lot of people with endometriosis do. This week is Infertility Awareness Week and I think it is very important to tell people trying to get pregnant out there that your ability, or inability, to have a child doesn't define you. Since infertility is another one of those taboo topics (for no reason at all), I'm going to share a little more information about it. 

What is infertility?

"Infertility is a disease of the reproductive system that impairs one of the body's most basic functions: the conception of children."

What is normal fertility and when does it become infertility?

If you've been trying to get pregnant for more than a year, you may have infertility. There are many factors that go into it: 

• on the production of healthy sperm by the man and healthy eggs by the woman;
• unblocked fallopian tubes that allow the sperm to reach the egg;
• the sperm's ability to fertilize the egg when they meet;
• the ability of the fertilized egg (embryo) to become implanted in the woman's uterus;
• and sufficient embryo quality.

How common is infertility?

Infertility affects 10%-15% of couples, which makes it a very common disease. 

Causes of infertility:

• Ovulation disorder 
• Blocked fallopian tubes
• Pelvic inflammatory disease
• Endometriosis
• Congenital anomalies
• Uterine fibroids 
• Azoospermia (no sperm cells are produced)
• Oligospermia (few sperm cells are produced)
• Genetic diseases (cystic fibrosis, chromosomal abnormality)

What is Intrauterine Insemination (IUI)?

"IUI works by putting sperm cells directly into your uterus around the time you’re ovulating, helping the sperm get closer to your egg. This cuts down on the time and distance sperm has to travel, making it easier to fertilize your egg."

What is In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)?

"In IVF, eggs are surgically removed from the ovary and mixed with sperm outside the body in a Petri dish. After about 40 hours, the eggs are examined to see if they have become fertilized by the sperm and are dividing into cells. These fertilized eggs (embryos) are then placed in the woman's uterus, thus bypassing the fallopian tubes."

However, IUI and IVF are expensive and not a possibility for every couple. 

Infertility is, unfortunately, something a lot of people experience, so you are not alone. It is important to keep talking about diseases like this so they can get more attention and research someday.

Source: https://www.reproductivefacts.org/faqs/frequently-asked-questions-about-infertility/ 

WHAT IS ADENOMYOSIS?

While I don't suffer from adenomyosis (adeno) myself, a lot of endometriosis warriors do. Adeno is actually considered the sister disease of endometriosis, but what is it? Well, since April is Adenomyosis Awareness Month, I thought this would be the perfect time to advocate for it!

Definition:

"A condition in which the inner lining of the uterus (the endometrium) breaks through the muscle wall of the uterus (the myometrium)."

Symptoms:

• Heavy bleeding during the menstrual cycle
• Severe cramps
• Bloating
• Chronic pelvic pain
• Painful intercourse 

Cause: While the cause of adeno isn't known, there are a few theories-

• Invasive tissue growth: some believe endometrial cells from the uterine lining invade the muscle on the wall of the uterus.

• Developmental: Tissue is first formed in the fetus.

• Uterine inflammation due to childbirth: Inflammation of the uterine lining during childbirth may cause a break in the boundary cells that line the uterus.

• Stem cell origins: The most recent origin story theorizes that bone marrow stem cells might invade the muscle of the uterus.

Risk Factors:

• Uterine surgery (c-section, etc.)
• Childbirth 
• Middle age (BUT adeno can affect people of all ages!)

Diagnosis:

Historically, the only way to diagnose adeno was through performing a hysterectomy (surgically removing the uterus) and examining the tissue. Now, doctors are able to use imaging technology like MRI or transvaginal ultrasound to see the disease in the uterus (yay for evolving medical technology!).

Cure:

The only way to cure adeno is through a hysterectomy and this is the route many people take who have severe symptoms (@endostrong on Instagram is one of my favorite endo/adeno bloggers and she is very open about her hysterectomy!). 

Treatments: 

• Anti-inflammatory medications
• Hormone therapy
• Uterine artery embolization
• Endometrial ablation (different than that for endo)

Sources:

• https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/adenomyosis/symptoms-causes/syc-20369138 
• https://www.webmd.com/women/guide/adenomyosis-symptoms-causes-treatments