HEALTHIER YOU: Realities behind infertility
April 16, 2018 by Las Vegas Black Image Magazine
Filed under Health, Highlights
BY DR. ANNETTE MAYES, OB/GYN
Infertility is typically defined as an inability to conceive after one year (or longer) of unprotected sex. Because fertility in women is known to decline steadily with age, some providers evaluate and treat women 35 years or older after six months of unprotected sex.
Women with infertility should consider making an appointment at our All Women’s Health Care offices or with a reproductive endocrinologist — a doctor who specializes in managing infertility. Reproductive endocrinologists may also be able to help women with recurrent pregnancy loss, defined as having two or more spontaneous miscarriages. Pregnancy is the result of a process that has many steps. To get pregnant:
- A woman’s body must release an egg from one of her ovaries (ovulation)
- A man’s sperm must join with the egg along the way (fertilize)
- The fertilized egg must go through a fallopian tube toward the uterus (womb)
- The fertilized egg must attach to the inside of the uterus (implantation)
Infertility may result from a problem with any or several of these steps. Treatment for infertility is sometimes as simple as taking medication, but may also involve surgical intervention.
For additional information, contact the Las Vegas All Women’s Care Offices at (702)522-9640. Or visit us at 700 Shadow Lane No. 165 (1st floor) in Las Vegas.