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/