As women, eventually the realities of conceiving start to settle within our consciousness and needs. In time, we often take heed to our "womanly gift" and long for what’s innate: motherhood.
For some, this gift may not come so easily. Infertility affects at least 12% of all women up to the age of 44. Studies suggest Black women, in particular, may be almost twice as likely to experience infertility compared to white women. Even with those stats stacked against us, still, only about 8% of Black women between the ages of 25 and 44 actually seek medical fertility help to get pregnant, compared to 15% of our white counterparts.
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So, what’s the deal? Are we not informed enough about our options?
Infertility can actually derive from a number of factors like environment, lifestyle, age, health conditions, and hereditary genes. Because infertility is a complex disorder, treatment involves significant financial, physical, psychological, and time commitments. It sounds intense, but there are options and assistance available to anyone.
Although some women only need one or two therapies to restore fertility, it's possible that several different types of treatment may be needed for others. Here are 7 options for those of us who are experiencing trouble conceiving:
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1. Fertility Drugs
Fertility drugs regulate or stimulate ovulation. They are the main treatment for women who are infertile due to ovulation disorders.
Fertility drugs generally work like natural hormones, follicle-stimulating hormones (FSH), and luteinizing hormone (LH), to trigger ovulation. They're also used in women who ovulate to try to stimulate a better egg, an extra egg, or multiple eggs.
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2. Artificial Insemination (AI)
Also known as intrauterine insemination (IUI), AI is used to treat women who have normal and healthy fallopian tubes but for unknown reasons cannot conceive.
This may be due to mechanical difficulties with intercourse. The process of AI involves the insertion of a male partner’s semen through the female’s cervix and into the uterus at or just before the time of ovulation.
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3. In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)
In IVF, the woman’s eggs are collected, along with sperm from the male partner or donor.
The egg and sperm are left in a culture dish in the laboratory to allow the egg to be fertilized.
If fertilization occurs and an embryo develops, the embryo is then placed into the woman's uterus in a procedure called an embryo transfer.
4. Gamete Intrafallopian Transfer (GIFT)
GIFT was launched as a more ‘natural’ and ‘humane’ version of IVF.
Couples who don’t want to use IVF for religious reasons often opt for this procedure.
Instead of fertilization occurring in a culture dish in a laboratory, the woman’s eggs are retrieved from her ovaries and inserted between two layers of sperm in fine tubing.
This tubing is then fed into one of the woman’s fallopian tubes, where the egg and sperm are left to fertilize naturally.
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5. Surgery
Several surgical procedures can correct problems or otherwise improve female fertility.
However, surgical treatments for fertility are rare these days due to the success of other treatments. They include laparoscopic or hysteroscopic surgery and tubal surgeries.
6. Egg Donation
There are several ways that donor sperm, eggs, or embryos can be used in assisted reproductive treatments.
Sperm may be needed for a man with a low count, women may be sterile, women may have low-quality eggs, women may experience absence, miscarriage, or other health issues, or both parties may be unable to produce an embryo because of issues with both egg and sperm. There are donors out there willing to help.
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7. Surrogacy
Surrogacy is a form of assisted reproductive treatment in which a woman (the surrogate) carries a child for another person or couple with the intention of giving the child to that person or couple after birth.
Tia Muhammad, BS, is an award-winning freelance content & media creative, copywriter, blogger, digital designer, and marketing consultant. She owns the boutique content and digital media company, jackieGLDN|studio.
