IVF Treatments and Fertility Problems - What Can Go Wrong?

There's lots of things that can cause problems with female fertility and make life difficult when it comes to trying to get pregnant. If you're struggling to conceive here are some areas that can cause problems that you want to think about getting checked out:

An premature or early menopause, which happens when the ovaries stop functioning properly many years before they should, occurs in about 2 per cent of women. It can take place when women are still in their twenties, and the causes are not always clear, although they may be genetic or chromosomal. Women who've had an early menopause will usually be able to get pregnant only by using donated eggs, as once a woman reaches the menopause, the process is irreversible.

Raised prolactin levels can disrupt ovulation, and women who have high prolactin levels may have irregular periods, or none at all. Prolactin is a hormone that helps prepare women's breasts for milk production after childbirth, but levels can sometimes rise in women who are not pregnant and this can affect their hormonal balance.

Endometriosis, a condition where tissue similar to the womb lining starts growing elsewhere around the reproductive organs, can cause female fertility problems. It is very common, affecting around 15 per cent of women. Many women who have endometriosis still get pregnant without any difficulty, but others will find it affects their ability to conceive. It may be accompanied by heavy, painful periods and pain in the abdomen, lower back or pelvis.

Fibroids are benign tumors made up of muscle fiber that grow in or around the womb. They may make it difficult for a fertilized embryo to implant successfully and they are also associated with miscarriage. Many women who have fibroids are completely unaware of them, but they may be accompanied by heavy menstrual bleeding, painful periods, bloating or lower back pain.

Problems with the fallopian tubes are another common cause of infertility. The fallopian tubes lead from the ovaries to the womb, and if they are blocked, scarred or damaged, this may stop an egg traveling along them. The tubes can be damaged by infection, or by scar tissue if you've had surgery in the pelvic area. One major cause of tubal problems nowadays is the sexually transmitted infection, chlamydia. It can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease, which damages the fallopian tubes. Chlamydia is extremely common and it is estimated that around 10 per cent of sexually active young people have the infection, which is passed on through unprotected intercourse.

There are often no outward signs, so a woman may be completely unaware that she has chlamydia although it may be putting her future fertility at risk.