Quick Overview On Fertility Drugs and Surgery

A combination of fertility drugs and surgical procedures are oftentimes used to commence treatment either before or during In Vitro Fertilization. For a woman who is not ovulating (producing and releasing an egg each month) at all, or only infrequently, fertility drugs can help to spark off egg making in much the same way as the body's own hormones.

The correct term for this is ‘Ovulation Induction' which is sometimes all that is needed to get pregnant but more often this procedure will be applied together with In Vitro Fertilization or human artificial insemination such as Intrauterine Insemination.

In all probability the most widely used fertility drug these days, and the earliest, is Clomid or to give it the correct name Clomiphene Citrate. Taken as a pill, it tells your head that you are not producing enough estrogen, which indirectly induces your ovaries into making eggs.

Because Intrauterine Insemination and In Vitro Fertilization are more widely employed now, surgery, which used to be popular in assisting infertility, can still be used in certain cases. Frequently the fallopian tubes can get clogged or inflamed, possibly even scarred from infections such as Chlamydia, and this is where surgery can still be of use. Others include Fibroids, Endometriosis and other circumstances impacting on the womb or tubes. Fortunately, these days keyhole surgery is the norm and your physician at the fertility clinic will be the easiest person to direct you on possible courses of action.

When there's a fertilty problem, women should not only be the main suspect as it could very well be the fault of the male partner too. A male fertility test will determine where the problem lies

Drugs used for infertility are in general for women as they do not play such an fundamental role with men. Although, there are certain times where drugs are given to men to assist with infertility problems. These may include antibiotics to treat contagion or inflammation, and vitamins C and E (male fertility vitamins) to better sperm movement, although there is no credible evidence that this improves the chance of pregnancy. If you can't produce any sperm, for instance (you may have had a vasectomy or a failed reversal) a small procedure known as surgical sperm recovery can be carried out to withdraw the sperm from the Epididymis (where sperm are made) or the testicles.

There is an increased chance of multiple births when using fertility drugs which stimulate ovulation artificially. Many doctors will in reality cancel a cycle if fertility drugs are being used in conjunction with Intrauterine Insemination as it increases the likeliness of multiple births if a large number of egg sacks are made. If you have In Vitro Fertilization, the chance of a multiple pregnancy is restricted by replacing one or two embryos.

Because of the complexity of this subject, this article is only able to give a very short overview of the drugs and surgical procedures available. If you and your partner are thinking about your options in this area, the initial thing you need to do is get hold of your local fertility clinic.