Infertility Q&A (cont.)
Q. What does it mean when infertility is "unexplained"?
A. Sometimes a couple is told that their infertility is unexplained. This
means the reason can't be identified through diagnostic tests. Even in cases of
unexplained fertility, it's still possible to be treated successfully.
Researchers continue to look for clues that may shed light on unexplained
infertility and improve treatment. In 2003, researchers funded by the National
Institutes of Health and private sources reported the discovery that an embryo
initially attaches to the uterine wall by using specialized molecules located on
the surfaces of the embryo and the uterus. The embryo is able to attach because
of a sticky interaction with the uterine wall.
The process is "like a tennis ball rolling over a tabletop covered with
syrup," says Susan Fisher, Ph.D., the study's senior author and an anatomy
professor at the University of California, San Francisco. "Understanding the
molecular underpinnings of the process that initiates pregnancy is the first
step in devising therapies that will improve the rate of implantation."
Q. What are the conventional treatments for infertility?
A. Conventional therapies, such as drugs or surgery, are used to treat 85
percent to 90 percent of infertility cases. Examples of reproductive surgery for
men are vasectomy reversal and varicocele repair, a procedure that may restore
fertility by treating varicose veins in the scrotum. Examples of
fertility-related surgery for women include removal of noncancerous tumors in
the uterus called fibroids, and the removal of endometriosis implants, which can
cause infertility.
There are two types of ovulation drug treatments approved
by the FDA. Clomid and Serophene (clomiphene citrate) are taken by mouth. Repronex and Pergonal
(human gonadotropins) are injected. Both types stimulate the ovaries to produce
eggs.
Clomiphene is usually the first line of treatment in women with ovulation
problems. "In women who are not ovulating, 60 percent to 85 percent of women
will ovulate with clomiphene, and 30 percent to 40 percent will become
pregnant," says Audrey Gassman, M.D., a medical reviewer in the FDA's Division
of Reproductive and Urologic Drug Products. One of the risks of
ovulation-inducing drugs is that more than one fetus may result.
Drugs that stimulate ovulation are often used with intrauterine insemination,
a procedure in which millions of sperm are inserted into a woman's uterus around
the time of ovulation to increase the chance of pregnancy. A partner's sperm or
donor sperm may be used.
Next: Q. What
are the side effects of fertility drugs? »
- clomiphene-oral, Clomid, Serophene - Consumer information about the medication CLOMIPHENE - ORAL (Clomid, Serophene), includes side effects, drug interactions, recommended dosages, and storage information. Read more about the prescription drug CLOMIPHENE - ORAL.
- Ultrasound - Learn an ultrasound procedure, and conditions and diseases it assists in diagnosing and screening like tumors, cysts, heart conditions and more.
- Endometriosis - Lern about endometriosis symptoms like pelvic pain, infertility, diarrhea, constipation, lower back pain, abdominal pain, irregular or heavy menstrual bleeding, and even blood in the urine.
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