When you've been trying to conceive for a year without success (or six months if you're over 35), you're placed into the category of people struggling with infertility. But there are many possible reasons why you've ended up here. Here are some potential infertility diagnoses.
Female-Factor Infertility Diagnoses
Female infertility is complicated since the female reproductive tract has more essential parts in the whole process (compared to the male). Unlike the sperm-churning testicles, the ovaries contain all the follicles (premature eggs) that person will have for their lifetime. The ovaries also need to function normally to ovulate a mature egg each cycle. That egg will then travel along the fallopian tube where sperm can meet up with it. Then, the embryo needs to land on a healthy patch of the uterine lining so that it can implant and try to grow. Many more factors need to be evaluated and screened, compared to male factor infertility.
After investigation, your doctor may indicate a reason for your infertility, and they could be one of the following:
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Diminished Ovarian Reserve
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Ovulatory Dysfunction
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Tubal Infertility
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Uterine and Cervical Factors
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Unexplained Infertility
Male-Factor Infertility Diagnoses
Since it takes both an egg and sperm to create an embryo (and eventually a baby), male factor infertility means there is an issue on the sperm side. This can include low sperm counts (not making any or enough sperm) and having poor sperm quality. Since the testicles are essentially sperm factories and new sperm can be generated every two to three months, male factor is generally easier to correct than female infertility with diet, lifestyle and antioxidant support.
