It can be heartbreaking to want to become a mom, only to learn that a health condition you live with is preventing you from becoming pregnant. In fact, some common gynecologic health conditions are leading causes of infertility.
If you’re having problems getting pregnant, visiting Garden State Women’s Center can give you clarity on why you’re not conceiving, and you can access effective treatments that can get you on your way to holding that longed-for baby!
Dr. Kiran Joshi and Dr. Vibha Joshi partner with you by listening closely, crafting a treatment plan that’s customized to you, and building a relationship based on trust. Their expertise is combined with sensitivity so you feel you’re in the best hands as you explore treatment options that address your fertility issues.
It may surprise you to learn that several health conditions that affect many women may also be contributing to your fertility problems. Let’s look at each of them.
This disorder, also known as PCOS, impacts 10 percent of women in their reproductive years and is caused by a hormonal disorder that disrupts your reproductive hormones.
You may have PCOS if you have heavy menstrual flow, cycles that are 35 days or longer, and you struggle with losing weight. Other telltale signs are dark skin on your neck and small skin tags in your armpits or on your neck.
PCOS can cause you to have higher levels of androgen, a male hormone, and this can cause acne, a thinning of the hair on your head, or, conversely, a thickening of facial or body hair.
Fortunately, your Holy Name Medical Associates provider can recommend lifestyle changes and prescribe medications that can keep symptoms under control and increase your chances of conceiving. Topical products and cosmetic procedures like electrolysis can also help with unwanted hair.
Endometriosis is a progressive condition in which tissue that’s similar to your uterine lining, which is typically shed each month during your period, grows out of control outside your uterus and around your ovaries and fallopian tubes. This can cause small cysts to form on your ovaries, scar tissue to form, and fibrous tissue bands called adhesions to grow, making pelvic tissues and organs stick to each other.
The symptoms you experience with endometriosis include painful periods, heavy periods, bleeding between periods, and digestive issues before or after your period. Sexual intercourse is also often painful, and the emotional pain of infertility exists as well.
Endometriosis prevents pregnancy in different ways. Sometimes it can cause one or both of your fallopian tubes to become blocked and make it impossible for the sperm and egg to make contact, or scar tissue can prevent implantation. It can also cause damage to either the egg or the sperm.
Treatments for endometriosis may depend on what stage of the disease you’re experiencing. In its earliest stages, you may be able to get pregnant without treatment, but later your provider may recommend:
Talking to your Garden State Women’s Center provider about your options if you’re living with endometriosis can get you started on the path to getting pregnant.
Even though both women and men can be diagnosed with sexually transmitted diseases that cause infertility in both genders, women should know that untreated STDs can cause scarring and inflammation of the fallopian tubes and other reproductive organs. This makes it difficult for sperm to reach an egg.
Fallopian tube scarring can also cause an ectopic pregnancy, which occurs when an egg gets fertilized but implants outside a woman’s uterus and which can endanger a woman’s life.
What makes STD-related infertility so concerning is that in women, many STDs cause no noticeable symptoms, so a woman without an STD diagnosis may experience infertility and not understand why.
For example, up to 70 percent of women with chlamydia are asymptomatic. Chlamydia causes pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), a major cause of preventable infertility.
Garden State Women’s Center offers comprehensive STD testing for women and effective treatments. Eliminating STD-related infertility can put your mind at ease as you try to become pregnant.
Putting trust in your providers at Holy Name Medical Associates will offer you hope if you’re grappling with infertility. By seeking treatment for a condition that may be preventing you from getting pregnant, you’ll feel empowered and excited about what’s possible.
Please contact our Hackensack, New Jersey, office at 201-228-9596 to make an appointment, or book one online.
