What Increases A Woman’s Risk Of Infertility?

Most of the risk factors for infertility are same for men and women, but some are different.

If you're under 35 and have had frequent unprotected sex for more than a year without conceiving, there is a good chance that you or your partner may have a condition that is interfering with your chances of conceiving, but only a doctor can diagnose a fertility problem for sure.

Risk factors of infertility for women:

Many things can change a woman’s ability to have a baby. They include:

Age: Maternal age is probably the most significant risk factor that is related to a woman’s ability to conceive. As age increases, the ability of ovaries to produce normal and healthy eggs decreases, so the chance of becoming pregnant decreases.

Even you conceive during 30’s, there are great chances for chromosomal abnormalities and unsuccessful implantation. The ability of successful pregnancy starts to decrease from your 30s.

Endometriosis: It is estimated that 40-50% of the infertile women may have endometriosis. Endometriosis can disrupt the ovaries' normal cycle of egg development and release. Scar tissue from endometriosis can form adhesions around the ovary and restrict the available surface area of the ovary for egg release.

Diabetes: Women with uncontrolled diabetes are more likely to have fertility problems. When insulin resistance is controlled through diet, exercise and in some cases use of diabetes drugs such as metformin fertility tends to improve. For women with diabetes, good blood sugar control improves pregnancy rates and the success rate of pregnancy.

PCOS: Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common causes of infertility and is associated with impaired glucose tolerance and insulin resistance. Many women with PCOS are also diabetic or pre-diabetic.

Irregular periods: Irregular periods can be troublesome when trying to get pregnant. Irregular or abnormal ovulation and menstruation accounts for 30% to 40% of all cases of infertility. Women with irregular periods are often prescribed fertility drugs like Clomid to increase the number of ovulation periods.

Smoking: Women who smoke are 60% more likely to become infertile than nonsmokers.
Smoking can significantly delay the time of conception. It takes them longer time to become pregnant when they try to conceive.

Even you consider IVF procedure; smoking has a devastating effect on a woman’s chance of bearing a baby.

Overweight: Many women who are overweight wonder if this is a factor in their infertility. Today, in America, nearly 50% of women between the ages of 25 and 55 are overweight. The issue that is more common for overweight women is ovulation problems.

STDs: Approximately 65 million people in the United States have an STD. STDs can cause severe damage for a woman’s reproductive organs. Recent studies showed that 38 percent of infertility cases are caused by STDs.

Pelvic inflammatory disease: It is an inflammation of a woman's upper reproductive tract, including the structures of the uterus, ovaries, and fallopian tubes. The relationship between PID and infertility is relatively well accepted. PID causes infertility by the scarring process that occurs during the healing of sexually transmitted infections.

Fallopian tube damage: Damage of fallopian tubes is the most common cause infertility. About 20-25% of infertility cases are due to blocked or damaged fallopian tubes. This is usually caused by either pelvic infection or pelvic endometriosis.

Thyroid disease: Thyroid disease and infertility affects each other condition. Women who have a family history of hypothyroidism need to be extra diligent about getting tested for the presence of the antibodies. This condition can lead to not only infertility, but miscarriage, premature babies, growth issues for the child, and may also contribute to more complications later in the pregnancy.

What Does Lunar Fertile Period Mean?

Most women know that mid cycle or biological ovulation is the period to fall pregnant in when they have unprotected sex.

The thing that most of you don’t know is that ovulation can be triggered at any time and bring on fertility during your menstrual cycle, even during the period also.

All these depends on what phase the moon was at the time of your birth. This is your natal lunar phase fertile period.

Specifically, natal lunar phase fertile period indicates the angle between sun and moon at the time of your birth.

Every month when the moon comes to this same position that is as it was during your birth time, it can trigger your body for spontaneous ovulation even if the time occurs beyond your normal fertile period.

If you are using oral pills, make sure that you take your pill. These active hormone pills during this lunar fertile period reduce the risk of pregnancy occurring through unprotected sex.

The moon’s trigger effect is increased by two factors such as sexual intercourse and stress, which means, if you have sex during this phase, there are increased chances for ovulation to occur. This period varies from individual to individual as it completely depends on your birth data.

So, it is beneficial to synchronize your biological cycle with your lunar cycle. If you want to become pregnant, synchronizing the cycle increases your chances of becoming pregnant during the fertile period.

Also, sex of your child can be determined by the position of the moon at conception time. The possibility of pregnancy and fetus is reliant upon the relationship of the closer celestial bodies.

The problem is, calculating your own lunar fertile phase involves quite a bit of "number-crunching" and it's easy for the inexperienced to make mistakes. There are various sites in the web where you can find out on which moon phase you were born. With the help of this information, you can make the most of the limited conception opportunities that you have each menstrual cycle.


Link Between Sex And Cervical Cancer!

Recent study found that having sex at an early age may double the risk of cervical cancer. Sexually active younger women are at great risk from the disease.

Also, the study stated that the age at which women had their first baby can also a contributing factor for cervical cancer. Also, smoking and multiple sex partners can increase the risk of cervical cancer.

The study stated that poorer women have a higher risk of cervical cancer because they are likely to have sex four years earlier than more affluent women. If you have started having sex at young age and have multiple sex partners, then you have great chances for developing cervical cancer.

During the young ages, your cervix is underdeveloped and has an immature epithelium (top most layer of tissue on the cervix). With this immature epithelium, virus that cause cervical cancer can be easily penetrated into it and increase your chances of developing the infection.

The best way to protect from cervical cancer is by not having multiple sex partners and having safe and well protected sex. Also, cervical cancer vaccination protects young women from the risk of cervical cancer. Also, getting regular Pap test can help to detect abnormal cervical cells that indicate cancer risk.


Endometrial Biopsy To Determine Infertility Cause!

This is the diagnostic test used to detect any of the endometrial abnormalities.

In endometrial biopsy, a small sample of your uterine lining is removed to test under the laboratory.

Endometrial biopsy is the most reliable measure of a woman’s luteal phase.

Why endometrial biopsy is recommended?

When you consult your healthcare provider for any problem associated with the endometrium, first he/she will evaluate whether or not your uterine lining responds normally to the progesterone hormone.

The effect of progesterone hormone is measured by changes to the different cells of the endometrium that indemnify adequate preparation of the uterine lining.

This procedure helps to detect abnormal uterine bleeding that is the result of hormone imbalances. This diagnostic test helps to evaluate the cause of infertility, uterine infections and also helps to observe response to certain medications.

This procedure is less complicated when compared to the procedure known as dilation and curettage (D&C). In D&C, a great amount of uterine lining is removed by using special instrument to dilate the cervical opening. This procedure can be performed at doctor’s office that doesn’t require anesthesia or hospitalization.

Pregnant women are not allowed to undergo endometrial biopsy. Also, this procedure is suggested for women with cervical cancer or abnormal narrowing of the cervical opening.

How endometrial biopsy is performed?

The best time to undergo endometrial biopsy is three to seven days before your menstrual cycle starts. The procedure is performed at your doctor’s office.

During the procedure, you will lie on an examination table. With the help of a speculum, your doctor tries to open your vaginal canal to clearly observe the cervix, which is the opening of the uterus. Then, your doctor inserts a metal tubular device through your cervix into the uterus in order to remove a tiny piece of the inner lining tissue.

During the procedure, you will experience mild cramping or pain. Some doctors suggest taking ibuprofen prior undergoing the procedure to minimize the discomfort.

Are there any risks associated with endometrial biopsy?

Generally there are very few risks. Mainly it causes pain or cramping. These discomforts go away after completing the procedure. Some other less common risks are bleeding, possible infection, feeling faint or light-headed and rarely, perforation of the uterus.


Shock Wave Treatment For Impotence!

Researchers had discovered a new treatment for impotence or erectile dysfunction. Researchers reported promising preliminary results from using low-intensity shock wave therapy to treat vasculogenic erectile dysfunction or impotence.

Research said that 15 out of 20 patients with mild or moderate erectile dysfunction when treated with shock wave therapy had a significant improvement in their condition. Most of the patients were stopped their treatment with phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE-5) inhibitors once they undergone shock wave therapy.

Using low-intensity shock wave therapy promotes regeneration of coronary vessels in patients with angina and patients who are unable get angioplasty and coronary surgery.

In each treatment sessions, low-intensity shock waves are applied on your penile shaft and crus for about three minutes in each of the five anatomical sites. These shock waves are 1/10^th the level of intensity as the shock waves that are used to mash the kidney stones.

At each session, a device that resembles a computer mouse applied shock waves. Each site on the penis received some 300 shock waves over the course of three minutes.

Researchers said that these shock waves can really reverse erectile problems. Study said that shock wave therapy could help men whose erectile dysfunction stems from reduces blood flow to their penises.

Does Irregular Period Cause Infertility?

Yes, for some extent it is true. Menstrual cycles that differ more than a few days in length from month to month are considered irregular cycles or periods.

Usually, menstrual cycle occurs about every four weeks, with the normal range between 24-35 days.

To measure the length of your menstrual cycle, start counting from the first day of your last menstrual period and stop counting on the first day of your next menstrual period.

Irregular periods can be really tough or even intolerable to track. Irregular periods are common in unfertile women. However, many women are very confused about the relation between irregular periods and their infertility.

There is no need to worry, if you experience one or two irregular menstrual cycles because most of the women occasionally experience a small variation in their periods. This can be due to sleepless nights or even dieting.

For some extent, irregular period causes problems if you are trying to conceive. A normal menstrual cycle is four times as more fertile than the menstrual cycle that is ten days or more outside the normal range.

However a moderately consistent pattern of irregular cycle means that you need to pay some attention to what your body is trying to tell you.

The most important thing for a woman to be fertile is the release of the eggs. If you don’t release an egg that often, you don‚t have as many opportunities to get pregnant. Women with irregular periods are often prescribed fertility drugs like Clomid in order to increase the number of ovulation times.

Usually, irregular periods indicate that there are no ovulations and without ovulation it is impossible for conception to occur. You should check your progesterone level in the second half of the cycle. Irregular periods are often one of the first signs that a woman is approaching her menopause stage.

Though the right symptoms of irregular periods vary depending on a woman's special cycle, virtually all women will go through irregular periods for three to ten years before periods stop completely. Irregular periods are plainly what are irregular for you.

Caution For Testicular Cancer Survivors!

Testicular cancer is the most common type of cancer in young men ages 15 to 35. Early detection is critical because testicular cancer typically grows quickly and begins to spread to other parts of the body just a few months after the first symptoms appear. But treated early, it is almost 100 percent curable.

Recent studies stated that long-term testicular cancer survivors who received treatment with cisplatin-based chemotherapy are experiencing more severe side effects such as neurological and Raynaud-like phenomena when compared to men who were not received chemotherapy.

Side effects include: tinnitus, sensory neuropathy, Raynaud-like phenomena (Discoloration of the hands or feet on exposure to cold), and hearing impairment.

Researchers found that at 4 to 21 years after starting the treatment for testicular cancer, men who were received chemotherapy were at considerably higher risk for greater risk of all assessed symptoms when compared to men who were not received chemotherapy.

Men received chemotherapy were suffering from more severe hearing impairment when measured with audiometry than those who were under dose-intensive therapy.

Finally, the study said that the main aim of testicular cancer treatment is to reduce the toxic effects without negotiating the high cure rate.

Natural Fertility Management Contraception Kit!

Natural fertility management or NFM kit guides you through the practical steps that will help you to avoid contraception and follow natural contraception.

With this kit, you will definitely know how and when your body is fertile and how best to avoid conception during these times.

Once you will know them, easily you can relate them to your remaining fertile life.

The methods you are going to learn with this kit have been proved as reliable when compared to other forms of contraception.

Most of the studies have given it as 97% and 99.8% effective, when used properly.

Any woman can use this NFM kit, whether or not she has regular menstrual cycle and during any stage of her fertile life. The only thing that is needed is inspiration and curiosity about your own body.

Here are some advantages of NFM kit:

• Simple and easy to apply


• Period regularity is not needed


• No dependence on drugs or any other devices


• No side effects


• Greater knowledge about your own fertility and menstrual cycles


• No fear to your future fertility, conception or children


• Suitable for all women


• Improves your chances of conception


• Suitable when you forget the pill, breastfeeding and also during perimenopause


• Decreased use of barrier control methods, in which infection is a major concern
  

With NFM kit, you will be familiar with your fertile times by observing and understanding the:

• Basal body temperature readings


• Changes in the cervical mucus – These two methods help you to identify fertile days in your hormonal cycle.


• Bio-rhythmic lunar cycle – Allows you to identify when an extra, spontaneous ovulation may occur.
  

NFM kit includes:

• Complete list of instructions to learn and become familiar with the methods


• 12 cycle charts to note the observations


• Guidelines to your diet for healthy reproductive system

Does Casual Sex Cause Emotional Damage?

No, there is not any link between casual sex and your emotional health. Recent studies have proved that there is not any link between casual sex among young adults and their emotional and psychological health. But there are some physical risks of casual sex.

Casual sex won’t result in harmful psychological outcomes as compared to sexually active young adults in more committed relationships.

Though there has been a strong speculation in public discourse that sexual encounters beyond a committed romantic relationship may be emotionally damaging for young adults.

A research conducted on 1,300 young adults in Minnesota regarding their most recent sexual encounters, self-esteem and emotional well-being stated that about one fifth of the adults had their last sexual encounters casual.

However, overall emotional status of these people is no different than the remaining four fifths who were in committed sex relationship. So, from the study it is concluded that casual sex is not for everyone as an emotional matter.



10 Herbal Remedies To Treat Infertility!

Herbs are one of the most effective alternative medicines help to treat infertility.

People who are going to use herbs should keep in mind that this type of medicines looks to address both the mind and body.

Herbal remedies are effective for people with infertility problems, particularly women who have irregular periods and for people with hormone imbalances.

Herbal remedies contain 8-20 ingredients and can be taken in the form of pills, teas, tablets or granules.

They are most effective when they are fresh. They can be manufactured from leaves, roots, flowers, fruits and bark. Herbs for infertility treatment may actually require prolonged and continuous use or ingestion.

Some of the herbs for infertility have been scientifically proven to reverse infertility while others are supplements which aid in promoting fertility and conception. Here are most effective herbs that can treat male and female infertility.

Herbs for male infertility:

1. Astragals: This is an herb that is well known to promote male sperm motility.

2. Siberian Ginseng: This herb is useful to enhance and promote sexual functions in males by stimulating the production of testosterone hormone.

3. Pumpkin seed: This is well known herb used to treat infertility in men. Pumpkin seeds are rich in zinc and helpful for healthy function of male reproductive system.

Herbs for female infertility:

4. Dong qui: This is the herb that is being in use for several years, which can help to promote regular menstruation and fertility. This herb is rich in iron, vitamin E and cobalt, which help in promoting healthy reproductive system. To get the desired results, you should use this herb for a long period of time.

5. Red raspberry: This herb works similar to dong qui, but the elements and properties are different such as calcium, iron, manganese, vitamin A, C, D, E, and B-complex. These leaves are very good treatment for infertility.

6. False unicorn: The root of this herb is used in many cultures as treatment for infertility. It acts as a uterine tonic, and a diuretic. It was approved as a herb that promote fertility in women.

7. Wild Yam: This is a well known herb that promotes fertility in women. This herb stimulates the production of FSH that stimulates your ovaries to release eggs.

8. Black cohosh: This herb has been shown to increase pregnancy rate in infertile couple. The components of black cohosh can function similar to estrogen and helps to stimulate release of eggs from ovaries.

9. Chasteberry: Also known as Vitex agnus castus, is often used in conjunction with other compounds like green tea or antioxidants. It works effectively in increasing pregnancy rates.

10. False unicorn root: It is considered as a fertility herb as it contains compounds called steroidal saponins that herbalists suspect may be responsible for its normalizing effect on female hormones.

New Hope For Men With NOA!

New research conducted on men with non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA), lack of sperm in the semen stated that the condition is not due to an obstruction within the reproductive system and it is a wrong consideration that the people are not suitable to undergo IVF procedure.

New research showed that sperm produced from men with non-obstructive azoospermia and obstructive azoospermia are equally capable of producing embryos.

Study revealed that the elevated implantation rate per embryo transferred and to the resultant live births indicates to the quality of embryo being created with either type of surgically regained sperm.

While assessing the possibility of NOA sperm, also researchers were able to study paternal effect on genomic activation. One of the initial morphologic signs of embryonic genome activation is improved cell-to-cell observance at the 8-cell stage, leading to compaction.

Research found that embryonic compaction was similar in all three groups. These outcomes revealed that zygotic activation is independent of sperm origin and type of azoospermia.

Testicular Torsion And Infertility!

Testicular torsion has been estimated to affect 1 in every 4 000 males younger than the age of 25 years and has peaks of incidence occurring in the neonate and the adolescent entering puberty.

Inside the scrotum, the testicles are protected on either side by a structure called as spermatic cord. But, sometimes spermatic cord gets twisted around a testicle thus stopping the blood supply to that testicle.

The cause of testicular torsion is still not known, but it can result from any serious injury to the testicles or by doing any strenuous activity. Sometimes, there is no apparent reason for this condition. The condition is more common in infant boys and boys who are going through puberty.

Effects of testicular torsion:

The condition causes sudden and severe pain, enlargement of the affected testicles, swelling and tenderness.

Your testicle may seem swollen or may look like it is higher in the scrotum than the other testicle. You may also experience vomiting, nausea, blood in the semen and dizziness.

Is there any treatment for testicular torsion?

The condition needs immediate medical attention. Surgery called as orchiopexy is the treatment for correcting testicular torsion. The functioning of the testicle can be saved if the condition is diagnosed and corrected immediately.

If the testicle is restricted from the blood supply for a long time, the testicle can become permanently damaged and may need to be removed.

If you experience any pain in the scrotum, immediately consult your doctor. Because any damage to the testicle can cause fertility problems and sometimes lead to infertility.

Does Age Affect Your Fertility?

Most of the women wait until their 30’s and 40’s to have children. In fact, about 20% of the women in US have their first child after the age 35. So, age is a growing cause of fertility problems.

Approximately one third of the couple in which the women is over 35 has fertility problems.

As age increases, various factors can trigger a woman’s chances of having the baby. They include:

• As age increases, your eggs are not that much healthy for conception to occur


• Your ovaries are less likely to release the eggs


• You are more likely to have miscarriage


• As age increases, there are less number of eggs remain in your body. As you get older you have fewer viable eggs left; in cases of early menopause, the eggs run out much sooner than usual


• There is a greater chance to develop health conditions that can cause problems with your fertility


• The endometrium, lining of your womb becomes thinner and less hospitable to a fertilized egg.


• Vaginal secretions or mucus secretions become less fluid and more hostile to sperm


• As age increases, your body is more likely to affect with any diseases and these diseases may decrease your fertility


• As time passes, there are some conditions that affect your reproductive organs such as: Chlamydia, endometriosis and PCOS


• As we get older, we gain some of the weight. Being overweight or obese makes it more difficult to become pregnant
  

How Uterine Polyps Causes Infertility?

Uterine polyps are excess tissues that grow on the inner walls of your uterus.

Uterine polyps can develop in women of any age, but generally they develop in women during their 40’s and 50’s.

Uterine polyps sometimes cause problem with fertility or can increase your risk of miscarriage.

A normal and healthy uterine cavity and endometrial lining is necessary for a woman to conceive and maintain a healthy pregnancy.

Most of the polyps are very small and do not represent a compromise to reproductive capabilities. But, larger and multiple polyps can interfere with the reproduction and thus causing infertility or increases the risk of miscarriage.

What will polyps do in our body?

Usually, uterine polyps nourish on estrogen hormone. If you have more estrogen with uterine polyps, your polyps will grow more and more. Once these polyps attain a certain size, then they swill tart to protrude into your uterine cavity.

The size of polyps ranges from a few millimeters to several centimeters. Usually, polyps are attached to the uterine walls by a large base or a thin stalk. During in some cases, these polyps are slips down into the cervix.

How polyps affect your fertility?

Polyps reduce the blood flow to the parts of endometrial lining. This can disrupt the fertilization of fertilized embryo from implanting in the endometrial lining. Even after the implantation of embryo, these polyps can cause a miscarriage.

Studies showed that removing the polyps can boost a woman’s fertility if she was previously infertile. For instance, one study showed that 63% of women who have uterine polyps became pregnant via intrauterine insemination (IUI) after they had their polyps removed.

What are the symptoms that you experience with uterine polyps?

For some women polyps won’t cause any symptoms. But some may experience symptoms such as:

• Painful or heavy periods


• Unpredictable or irregular menstrual bleeding


• Vaginal bleeding even after the menopause


• Infertility
  

What are the treatments used to remove polyps?

Most of the polyps do not require any treatment. But treatment is suggested for people who experience severe discomfort. They include:

Hormonal medications: Progestins and GnRH agonists are recommended to stop estrogen production so that polyps will slowly shrink down.

Surgical method: Polypectomy is a surgical procedure used to remove uterine polyps. This treatment is suggested mostly for infertile women.

Are There Any Specific Fertility Signs?

Yes, you can easily recognize the fertility signs in your body.

There are various methods to monitor your fertility such as: cervical mucus, cervical position, and basal body temperature.

These three fertility signs when combined with charting can be very effective to track your cycles.

This chart allows you to know just when your most fertile period is and helps to increase the chances of conceiving.

1. Cervical mucus:

This is the most evident among the fertility signs. Estrogen hormone is responsible for producing cervical mucus. After completion of your menstrual period, you will be dry for few days. After that those dry days will turn into sticky days. These dry and sticky days are known as sub-fertile days or the period during which your fertility is very low.

When these dry or sticky days completes, your cervical fluid will turn into creamy or watery. This fluid is white or clear in color and is very thin. This is the most evident indicator of raising your fertility.

Some may experience watery or creamy cervical fluid while some others won’t produce any fluid. Mucus production is a very good signs because it is the only medium for sperm to swim easily and combine with the egg to occur conception. Good cervical fluid providers shelter for sperm to live longer.

After this, the next phase is producing cervical fluid called ‘egg white’ as it is similar to the color of raw egg white. This kind of fluid production indicates the most fertile sign. Egg white fluid is clear and stretchy and the sperm can live longer when compared to the previous phase.

After ovulation or the day of ovulation, rapidly again you will become dry or produce sticky mucus. You should observe this until your next menstrual period starts.

Sticky or dry mucus – Not fertile i.e. intercourse is improbably increase your chances of conceiving

Watery or creamy mucus – Fertile i.e. intercourse increases your chances of conceiving

Egg white mucus – Very fertile i.e. intercourse has definite chances to become pregnant

2. Position of cervix:

Changes in the position of your cervix can also indicate one of the fertility signs. Cervical position changes are due to the increase in estrogen hormone during the period of ovulation. During this period, your cervix becomes soft and rises higher in your vagina. Also, the cervical opening becomes little bit larger to allow easy passage of sperm.

After completing the ovulation period, your cervix becomes harder and cervical opening closes a little. Until your menstrual period, your cervix remains hard.

While checking the cervix, neatly wash your hands before and after checking. Make sure that your nails are short and trimmed properly. It is very difficult to check the cervical position by yourself. It needs proper practice and time to become familiar with the changes.

3. Basal body temperature (BBT):

BBT is the temperature taken early in the morning before doing any activity. Your body’s temperature is lower during the first part of the cycle. Usually, it will rise between 0.4 to 0.8 on the day of ovulation. It will stay up until just before the start of your next menstrual period.