Infertility Specialist

What is infertility?

Infertility is the inability to get pregnant despite having carefully timed, unprotected sex for at least one year. This condition affects 10-15% of the couples throughout the United States.

The process of becoming pregnant can be complicated. It depends on several fertility factors for a successful conception:

• Healthy sperm and healthy eggs
• Unblocked Fallopian tubes that allow the sperm to reach your egg
• The sperm’s ability to fertilize your egg after meeting
• The ability of the fertilized egg (embryo) to implant itself into your uterus
• Adequate embryo quality

What causes infertility?

Whether it’s inadequate levels of hormones or trouble ovulating, determining the specific cause of infertility can be difficult.

Some specific infertility causes could include:

• Endometriosis
• Ovarian cysts
• Pelvic adhesive disorders
• Chronic pelvic pain
• Uterine fibroids
• Ovarian cysts

When should you be tested for infertility?

The American Society of Reproductive Medicine recommends that women under the age of 35 begin testing if they have tried to conceive for at least 12 months and were unsuccessful. If you are over 35 years of age and haven’t been able to become pregnant after six months of trying, Dr. Chandrasekhara recommends getting tested.

How can you treat infertility?

Many treatments can significantly help your chances of becoming pregnant. They include assisted reproduction using various medical techniques to fertilize an egg.

Approximately 85-90% of infertility cases are treated with conventional therapies, like hormone treatments, fertility drugs, and surgery. Other assisted reproductive technologies include in vitro fertilization.

One specific conventional therapy technique is referred to as ovulation stimulation. This process encourages the ovulation of your egg. If the cause of your infertility is your body’s failure to ovulate, Dr. Chandrasekhara can utilize an effective drug treatment to stimulate ovulation. This is done either by pills or by an injection. Sixty-five percent of couples succeed in conceiving when ovulation is encouraged.

Dr. Chandrasekhara can help diagnosis and treat your condition. She also offers extensive laparoscopic surgical procedures for treatment of infertility. She looks forward to helping you with your family planning.

If you’re considering starting a family, call Dr. Chandrasekhara today at Gateway OB/GYN or schedule an appointment online to come in for a consultation.