Got pregnant once but now finding it difficult to conceive again?You might be experiencing secondary infertility
Secondary infertility is the inability to conceive or carry a child to term after previously being pregnant naturally where in duration of trying can be between six to twelve months depending on age.
What are the possible causes of secondary infertility?
Reasons In women include –
- Advanced age: This is most common and important issue.Egg quality and quantity declines in women aged 35 or above.
- Endometriosis: This condition is one of the most common cause of female infertility and occurs when a tissue that usually grows in the uterus grows in places outside uterus like ovaries,bowel etc.
- Damaged or blocked fallopian tube: Infections such as chlamydia or gonorrhea can damage or block the tube that carries eggs to the uterus, resulting in infertility.
- Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS): This hormonal disorder interferes with regular ovulation and menstruation.
- Excessive weight gain: Weight can lead to PCOS and other health conditions that can cause ovarian dysfunction in some women
Reasons in men include –
- Advanced age age: Sperm production and semen quality usually decrease in men aged 40 or above.
- Low testosterone levels: Testosterone, a male hormone, is essential for sperm production, but it can decrease due to aging or genital injuries.
- Sperm abnormalities: Sperm may lose their usual form or ability to swim to the egg effectively enough for fertilization. It can occur due to infections, trauma to testicles, toxins, and other reasons.
- Azoospermia: Azoospermia means there’s no viable sperm in a man’s ejaculate.
- Enlarged prostate: Prostrate enlargement can reduce sperm count and restrict ejaculation.
- Prostate removal: The prostate gland removal during cancer or other treatments can cause sperm to flow reverse.
- Varicocele: Varicocele may cause due to defective valves found in veins within the scrotum. It can alter sperm production and its quality.
- Excessive weight gain: Men who are overweight are more likely toult have ejaculatory and erectile dysfunction
- Medical conditions – Poorly controlleddiabetes can lead to deficient sperm motility and morphology apart from reduced count overall.Sperm defragmentation index is seen to be high in such patients
What are the treatment options for secondary infertility?
1)Use of ovulation induction drugs along with follicle studies for timed intercourse or intrauterine insemination
2)Endoscopy procedures –
- To remove pregnancy obstructing lesions
- Excision of endometriotic lesions and spots
- Tubal cannulation for management of tubal blockage
3)In vitro fertilization – This procedure involves retrieving eggs from the ovaries after hormonal stimulation followed by fertilizing the egg in a lab, and then transferring the resulting embryo in the uterus.
Please consult your fertility specialist if age of female partner is less 35 and period trying is 12 months or if age of female is more than 35 with a trying period of 6 months
In conclusion, Secondary infertility needs to be identified in couples who are not able to conceive after a previously successful pregnancy attempt. Timely identification of causes and a directed treatment plan can lead to positive results
