Secondary infertility: Struggle inconceivable Vs Conceivable
A woman
empowered to give birth to her own child embarks the journey of life smoothly
and happily is a well-known fact. The stigma and agony of being infertile may
not be experienced by some women as they naturally conceived and gave birth to
a healthy baby in the first go. It is also possible that some couples may not
believe that they are having problem in conceiving for the second time as they
experienced their first pregnancy without any medical help.
What is secondary infertility?
Inability to
conceive or to carry the baby to term for the second time is referred to as
secondary infertility. The female must have had at least one conception,
successful or unsuccessful in the past. The pain, anxiety and sheer despair is
not less than primary infertility and approximately 11% couples suffer from
secondary infertility.
What are the causes of secondary infertility?
The main causes of secondary infertility may be same as of primary infertility.
Age: Fertility declines with advancing
age. It is very much likely that if you had conceived earlier in your early
30’s and now trying in late 30’s you face the problem of secondary infertility.
Ovarian reserve declines rapidly in females with advancing age, sperm quality
is also affected with age.
Primary infertility cause: It is possible that if a woman has
conceived to full term through IVF in the previous attempt then she might face
the same problem for the second time as the reason of primary infertility might
have not been cured yet.
Fertility issues such as PCOS, endometriosis, poor
ovarian reserve, fallopian tube factors play a significant role in secondary
infertility. Problems with the uterus, fibroids or endometrial polyps, previous
miscarriages also diminish the chances of pregnancy. Sperm quality also declines
by age, the use of narcotics, infection, some drugs and excessive smoking or
abuse of alcohol may lead to secondary infertility.
How is secondary infertility diagnosed?
The
diagnosis of secondary infertility is same as of primary infertility. Blood tests
for hormones, ultrasounds, CT scan, hysteroscopy and laparoscopy may be
performed to rule out the cause. For males, semen analysis and blood tests may
serve the purpose.
What is the treatment of secondary infertility?
Fertility drugs to boost up the hormones, IUI, IVF, ICSI or donor (egg or sperm) may be the treatment options. If age is too advanced or the case is of uterine dysfunction or hysterectomy, surrogacy may be the best option.
Secondary
infertility sufferers often don’t seek advice early, till the time they had
convinced themselves that they are not able to produce their offspring now on
their own. At Seeds of Innocence we encourage such couples to open up and advise
them not to keep themselves in isolation for long. It is not incurable and it is
too exhilarating to have the bundle of joy again.
To knit again reach out us at: www.seedsofinnocence.com
Double your joy by writing us: info@seedsofinnocence.com