• Question: How can infertility be treated?

    Asked by da celeb to Caroline, Derrick, Mark, Marta, Sammy on 11 Jul 2017.
    • Photo: Marta Maia

      Marta Maia answered on 11 Jul 2017:


      Yes, there are ways of treating both male and female infertility. The treatment very much depends on the case.

    • Photo: Sammy Wambua

      Sammy Wambua answered on 11 Jul 2017:


      Hi da celeb,

      infertility has many causes. As such treatment depends on what’s causing the problem and what’s available where one is being treated. Generally treatment is one of these three main strategies:
      1/ medicines
      2/ surgical procedures, or
      3/ assisted conception – including intrauterine insemination (IUI) and in vitro fertilisation (IVF)

    • Photo: Caroline Ogwang

      Caroline Ogwang answered on 12 Jul 2017:


      Hi da celeb,
      Infertility treatment depends on:
      • What’s causing the infertility
      • How long one has been infertile
      • The age of a person and their partner
      • The patient’s/couple’s preference
      Some causes of infertility can’t be corrected.
      In cases where spontaneous pregnancy doesn’t happen, couples can often still achieve a pregnancy through use of assisted reproductive technology e.g. intrauterine insemination (IUI).

      Treatment for men includes:
      • Altering lifestyle factors e.g. discontinuing some medications, reducing/eliminating harmful substances e.g. alcohol, improving frequency and timing of intercourse, establishing regular exercise
      • Medications. Certain medications may improve a man’s sperm count and their quality
      • Surgery e.g. to reverse a tube blockage
      • Sperm retrieval. These techniques obtain sperm when ejaculation is a problem or when no sperm are present in the ejaculated fluid. They may also be used in cases where assisted reproductive techniques are planned and sperm counts are low or otherwise abnormal.

      Treatment for women includes:
      • Stimulating ovulation(egg production) with fertility drugs. This is used to treat infertility due to ovulation disorders.
      • Intrauterine insemination (IUI) -healthy sperm are placed directly in the uterus around the time the woman’s ovary releases one or more eggs to be fertilized.
      • Surgery to restore fertility. Uterine(womb) problems such as endometrial polyps, a uterine septum or intrauterine scar tissue can be treated with surgery.

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