Fertility Specialist
A fertility specialist is a medical professional who specialises in diagnosing and treating fertility problems, in order to help people who have been unsuccessfully trying to have a baby. Fertility specialists treat conditions associated with both male and female infertility.
Fertility drugs can treat many issues, increasing the chances of conceiving and carrying the baby to term. These drugs treat specific problems, so a person should take them only at a doctor’s recommendation.
Possible Causes of Female Fertility
For good female fertility, you need to have regular periods, produce and release a mature egg during each menstrual cycle, produce two hormones (oestrogen and progesterone), not have any blockages in your fallopian tubes, and have an endometrial lining ready to receive a fertilised egg.
If anything of these is not quite right, you may experience problems falling pregnant, and this could be the underlying cause of your fertility issue(s).Age is the biggest factor affecting female fertility. Other common female causes of infertility include:
Endometriosis – where the tissue lining the uterus grows outside the uterus (such as in the pelvis), making it harder for the egg to fertilise and the embryo to implant. Symptoms include painful periods, and pain during intercourse. This can be treated by a fertility specialist with laparoscopic surgery.
Fibroids – lumps of uterine cell tissue growing inside or around your uterus. These can be removed through straightforward surgery by a fertility specialist if they are impacting your ability to conceive.
What Tests Are Available for Female Fertility?
There are plenty of tests available to check your fertility status. These include:
Laboratory Tests
Lab tests to evaluate fertility may include blood and urine testing to measure hormone levels and check ovarian reserve. The tests will evaluate progesterone levels to see if a woman has ovulated, as well as the level of the hormone prolactin, as high levels can disrupt ovulation. Thyroid function may also be investigated, as thyroid issues can cause infertility.
Ovarian Reserve Testing
Ovarian reserve testing helps determine whether a woman is producing eggs, particularly high-quality eggs, and how well the ovaries are responding to the brain’s hormonal signals. Most commonly, this is evaluated by testing the blood for follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) drawn on the third day of the menstrual cycle. This test is often ordered for those over age 35 or those with other complicating factors, such as a family history of early menopause and previous surgeries involving the ovaries including cancer treatments.
Imaging Tests
Imaging tests to evaluate fertility may include:
- Sonohysterography: After filling the uterus with a sterile fluid, an ultrasound of the inside of the uterus is taken. This helps to detect abnormalities such as polyps, fibroids and scar tissue.
- Hysteroscopy: This surgical procedure is administered via a lighted telescope instrument inserted through the cervix to view the inside of the uterus to check for the presence of polyps, fibroids or scar tissue.
- Laparoscopy: With this surgical procedure, a lighted telescope is inserted through a small cut in the abdomen to view the pelvic organs. Laparoscopy is not typically recommended unless the results of other tests or a woman’s health history suggests it may be useful.
Risks of fertility
Some fertility supplements may interact with other medications that a person is taking. For example, folic acid may interact with some drugs for seizures or parasitic infections, while taking vitamin E alongside certain blood thinners, weight-loss drugs, and bile acid sequestrants may cause adverse effects.
High doses of supplements can also cause side effects, which may include:
- rash
- nausea and vomiting
- blurry vision
- increased risk of heart disease (if taking folic acid)
- increased risk of cancer (if taking folic acid)
- headaches
- necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), a life-threatening congenital abnormality