Krystal Cluck Human Biology Report #4 Infertility Infertility is a condition where a couple has a difficulty becoming pregnant when

they desire to be parents, or when a woman is unable to carry the pregnancy to full term. The most frequent, and most times only, symptom is not becoming pregnant after one year of frequent unprotected intercourse for women under the age of 35, and for six months for women 35 or older. About 10% of women in the U.S. suffer from infertility. However, infertility can be caused by defects in either partner. Defects can be hormonal, where egg and sperm production are affected; blockage in the oviducts or vas deferens; scaring of the uterus, oviducts, or vas deferens. Defects could also mean the woman is missing the ovaries, or the uterus, or that the uterus is misshapen or unable to support the pregnancy. Infertility can also be a symptom of stress, where a woman is unable to ovulate, or a man has erectile dysfunction. There is a vast array of treatment options, including hormonal injections, surgery, in vitro fertilization, and other treatments to allow a woman to carry her own child to term. However, if a woman is unable to produce viable or healthy eggs, or if there is a genetic defect that either parent doesnt want to pass on, donor eggs, sperm, or both, or donated embryos from other couples who have used in vitro, may be used if the woman is able to carry the pregnancy. If the woman is unable to carry to term, or if it would be dangerous for her to do so, surrogacy can be used. The options will surrogacy include using the egg and sperm from the couple who wishes for a child, the surrogates egg and the partners sperm, donor sperm and the surrogates egg, or donated eggs and sperm. The surrogate gives up the child to be adopted by the parents. Regular adoption is another option, where the couple takes on the parental rights to a child from another woman who is unable or unwilling to be a parent at that time. However, 2/3 of couples who are treated for infertility are able to continue on to have their own child or children. Couples who undergo infertility treatments sometimes have secondary symptoms that can affect their ability to be pregnant, such as feelings of guilt, anger, despair, unworthiness, and feelings of failure. They need emotional support from those close to them to overcome these feelings and to continue with their journey of becoming parents. http://www.medicinenet.com/infertility/article.htm http://www.medicinenet.com/infertility/page2.htm http://www.medicinenet.com/infertility/page3.htm http://www.medicinenet.com/infertility/page4.htm http://www.medicinenet.com/infertility/page5.htm http://www.medicinenet.com/infertility/page6.htm http://www.medicinenet.com/infertility/page7.htm http://www.medicinenet.com/infertility/page8.htm

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