In Africa, particularly Nigeria, there is an outdated annoying practiced culture that puts women in the wrong spot. Whenever there is a case of delayed childbirth or pregnancy in a home, all fingers are directed towards the direction of the woman, with in-laws and family members apportioning blame to her.
This culture has existed for a very long time, but it is a good thing that situations are changing and more enlightenment i taking place in that sector. I always get very angry when a thing like this happens because the woman is going through so much as it stands already and putting in extra pressure on her is not a nice thing to do.
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It can be very difficult and upsetting when you are trying to get pregnant, so there is a way to get fertility tested and in this case, it is both the man and the woman who would need to go for the test, this is because the problem of infertility could either lie in the hands of the man or the woman and in some cases, the problem could be both parties.
There is no special way to tell that you may be infertile except for the clear sign of not being able to get pregnant or remain pregnant even after trying hard. There are times that after testing, the reason behind infertility is never found still, and depending on the problem found, treatment will be recommended accordingly.
For men, these tests are often carried out;
Analysing the Semen: Sometimes, the problem of fertility is because; sperm is insufficient, the sperm is not moving appropriately, or the shape of the sperm is not right. In either of the cases, semen analysis is recommended where the male partner would be required to donate a sperm sample for a test.
Imaging tests would require pictures of the body being taken through; MRI, x-rays, and ultrasound. This is to check for problems with the testicles and possible tumors in the brain, as both of these factors affect how the body can make hormones.
With hormone tests, a blood test would be done to check the levels of male hormones.
There is a chance that the presence of a genetic defect is a reason behind infertility, a genetic test will be carried out to see if there is any genetic issue that may be causing infertility.
Testicular biopsy would involve the removal of a small piece of testicle tissue to test for conditions that would be able to cause infertility. This option isn't commonly used as the other diagnostic methods are usually the sort-after ones.
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We have ovarian reserve testing, where the level of a hormone called anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) is measured through a blood test, this test would help to find out how many eggs are available for ovulation.
Ovulation tests also can be done on blood to measure hormones that would show during ovulation. Ovulation happens when there is a release of an egg into the fallopian tubes. A phase of missing out periods or having irregular periods may be a sign of ovulation problems with PCOS(Polycystic Ovary Syndrome) being the most common reason.
Other hormonal tests can be achieved through blood tests to determine how the thyroid gland is functioning. If the thyroid gland makes excessive or too little thyroid hormone, there could be a situation of infertility.
Ultrasound scan can be carried out on a woman's uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries. This test also helps to find the possible presence of blocks in the fallopian tubes, which could stop the eggs from traveling along the tubes and into the uterus. Some conditions that may affect the womb, like fibroids and endometriosis, can both stop pregnancy from happening.
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Chlamydia is a common sexually transmitted infection that could create fertility problems and cause pelvic inflammatory disease, so a test to check for and also the presence of chlamydia is carried out through; a urine test and a swab from your cervix.
A test called laparoscopy, which involves making small cuts in the abdomen with the laparoscope used to inspect the fallopian tubes, ovaries, and the uterus.
With these problems, solutions are available too based on medical advice. The infertility issue should either be fixed with medical procedures/recommendations or there could be assistance through reproductive technology like IVF. Of course, treatment will greatly depend on what has caused the infertility in the first instance, some of the available treatment options are;
Hormonal medicines that can help stimulate ovulation.
Surgery to treat blocked or damaged fallopian tubes, surgery can also be used to take out growths like fibroids or endometriosis.
Ovulation Induction (OI): This procedure involves the woman taking different medications. This is to make some of her eggs grow, mature, and get released from the ovaries. OI is a suitable procedure when the woman has normal fallopian tubes but has ovulation issues.
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Intrauterine insemination (IUI) is a procedure where semen is collected and injected into the uterus of the woman by a nurse or doctor. IUI is done close to the period when the going to ovulate. IUI is suitable at the time when there is a problem with the quality or quantity of the man's sperm or when the mucus in the cervix is too thick to allow sperm to pass through. This is said to be a more easy, simple, and cheaper form of fertility treatment.
In vitro fertilization (IVF): This treatment has become a well-known type of fertility treatment, although more invasive and expensive than the likes of OI or IUI, and this is because it requires more steps to be accomplished.
In the first stage, the woman is given medications to help some of her eggs grow, mature, and then get released from the ovaries. These eggs are collected through the aid of minor surgery, and then mixed in a dish with sperm in it to fertilize them, these fertilized eggs would then be tracked to check when they develop into embryos. After this development, the embryo is injected into the womb of the woman by a doctor using a fine tube.
There have been several success stories of women having their babies through IVF, apart from those with fertility issues other categories of people who take advantage of IVF include; those in same-sex relationships who desire to have a child, if a partner has a genetic disorder that you wouldn't want to be passed down to the child, single people who want to have a child take advantage of this also.
Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) is similar to IVF, the difference however is that, in the case of ICSI, a single sperm is injected into the egg to fertilize it through the use of a needle, and it is often used in cases of male fertility issues like low sperm count.
Sperm harvesting procedures are used when there is no sperm in the semen, sperm can be collected using a needle from the testicles, and then used for ICSI or IVF.
The issue of infertility is serious and has caused tears in the faces of people with genuine intention, but just like other conditions, medicine has ways to go about its treatment as long as you are interested and dedicated to the procedure yourself. I do not subscribe to feeling depressed or sad as a result of the condition, instead remain hopeful while you seek medical expertise.
For Further Studies.
https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/pregnancy/infertility/should-my-partner-and-i-get-tested-infertility
https://www.pregnancybirthbaby.org.au/fertility-tests-and-treatments
https://fertility.womenandinfants.org/treatment/female-fertility-tests
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/infertility/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20354322
https://www.webmd.com/baby/features/fertility-tests-women
https://www.webmd.com/infertility-and-reproduction/fertility-tests-for-women1
Hi, I am Tobi, a writer, speaker, relationship blogger, and lover of good music. I love making friends and learning from people. If you want to hear me speak on relationships and general life issues, you can find my YouTube channel where you can watch any episode for free, please do not forget to subscribe, friends. I sincerely appreciate every love I get from here, Kindly do well to keep them coming.