Fertility Treatment

Infertility is defined as not being able to get pregnant after a year of trying or six months, if a woman is 35 years or older. Women who are able to get pregnant, but are unable to stay pregnant could also be infertile.

Pregnancy is the result of a process that has many steps. To get pregnant:

• A woman must release an egg from one of her ovaries (ovulation).
• The egg must go through a Fallopian tube toward the uterus (womb).
• A man's sperm must join with (fertilize) the egg along the way.
• The fertilized egg must attach to the inside of the uterus (implantation).
• Infertility can happen if there are problems with any of these steps.

Infertility, a Common Problem?

Yes. Infertility is a problem. In fact, around 10 percent of women (6.1 million) in the United States ages 15 through 44 have difficulty getting pregnant or staying pregnant, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Is Infertility Only a Woman's Problem?

No. Infertility is not always a woman's problem. Both women and men can have problems that cause infertility. About a third of infertility cases are caused by women's problems. Another third of infertility problems are due to the man. Other cases that exist are due to a mixture of male and female problems or by unknown problems.

Infertility in Men

Infertility in men is generally caused by:

• A problem called varicocele (VAIR-ih-koh-seel). This happens when the veins on a man's testicles are too large. In this situation, the testicles are heated at higher temperatures. The heat can affect the number, size, and mobility of the sperm.
• Movement of the sperm. This could occur when the shape of the sperm is abnormal. Often where injuries or other damage to the reproductive system occur, a blockage of the sperm is present.
• Occasionally, a man is born with certain defect or problems that may affect his sperm. Other times, problems begin later in life due to illness or injury. For example, cystic fibrosis often causes infertility in men.

Fertility Treatment

Infertility can be treated with medicine, surgery, artificial insemination, or assisted reproductive technology. Often, these treatments are combined. In most cases infertility is treated with drugs or surgery.

Doctors recommend specific treatments for infertility based on:

• test results
• how long the couple has been trying to get pregnant the
• age of both the man and woman
• the overall health of the partners
• preference of the partners

Doctors often treat infertility in men in the following ways:

• Sexual problems. Doctors can assist men who experience impotence or premature ejaculation. Behavioral therapy with the addition of medicines could be used in these instances.
• Not enough sperm. Occasionally, surgery can help repair the cause of the problem. In other cases, surgeons are able surgically remove sperm directly from the male reproductive tract. Antibiotics may also be used to clear up infections affecting sperm count.
• Sperm movement. Occasionally, a man’s semen has no sperm because of a block in the man's system. In some cases, surgery may be able to correct the problem.

In women, some physical problems can also be corrected with surgery.

There are various fertility medicines that can be used to treat women with ovulation problems. It is necessary to discuss the pros and cons of these medicines with your doctor. Your doctor will discuss with you the possible dangers, benefits, and side effects.

What medicines are used to treat infertility in women?

Fertility Drugs Used to Treat Infertility in Women

• Clomiphene citrate (Clomid). This medicine causes ovulation by acting on the pituitary gland. It is mostly used in women who have polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) or other problems with ovulation. This medicine is taken by mouth.
• Human menopausal gonadotropin or hMG (Repronex, Pergonal). This medicine is used mostly for women who do not ovulate due to problems with their pituitary gland. hMG acts directly on the ovaries to stimulate ovulation. 
• Follicle-stimulating hormone or FSH (Gonal-F, Follistim). FSH works much like hMG. It causes the ovaries to begin the process of ovulation. These medicines are usually injected.
• Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (Gn-RH) analog. These medicines are used mostly for women who do not ovulate regularly each month. Women who ovulate before the egg is ready can also use these medicines. Gn-RH analogs act on the pituitary gland to change when the body ovulates. These medicines are usually injected or given with a nasal spray.
• Metformin (Glucophage). Doctors use this medicine for women who have insulin resistance and/or PCOS. This drug assists lower the higher levels of male hormones in women with these conditions. This assists the body to ovulate. Sometimes clomiphene citrate or FSH is combined with metformin. This medicine is usually taken by mouth.
• Bromocriptine (Parlodel). This medicine is used for women with ovulation problems due to high levels of prolactin. Prolactin is a hormone that causes milk production.

Most of these fertility drugs due increase a woman's chance of having twins, triplets, or other multiples. Women who are pregnant with multiple fetuses generally experience additional problems during pregnancy. Multiple fetuses have a high risk of being born prematurely. Premature babies are at a higher risk of health and developmental problems.

Infertility treatment can be physically uncomfortable, time-consuming, exhausting, and costly. This all occurs with the fact that there is little guarantee of success. The infertility experience for many can range from multiple diagnostic procedures through progressively more aggressive treatment options, all of which impose demands upon the emotional and physical self. It is no wonder that many women experience severe stress, depression, or anxiety during treatment for infertility.

Let MedCareLink help you reduce the stress of infertility by helping you find a highly skilled fertility doctor at affordable costs.

Thailand Surrogacy, Our Wholly Owned Subsidiary

Thailand Surrogacy is a wholly owned subsidiary of MedCareLink, a U.S. based Medical Tourism company headquartered in southern California. We provide ethical surrogacy services in Thailand. We practice only ethical surrogacy. Since Thailand Surrogacy is owned by a U.S. company, we know and understand that couples may have fears of traveling to a foreign country for such an important life changing event. We want to be able to show our patients the high level of ethical standards that we practice when assisting them with their fertility journey.

Thailand Surrogacy only works with highly skilled fertility doctors that work out of internationally accredited fertility hospitals and clinics in Thailand. Our doctors have all been educated and trained in the U.S., Europe, or Australia. Many of them have acquired specialized training in fertility treatment and are renowned worldwide for their knowledge and skills in the field of fertility. The fertility hospitals we work with have some of the most advanced technology found anywhere in the world. All of the fertility hospitals we work with have an ethics committee that oversees the process from start to finish. The ethics committee is also responsible for ensuring the welfare of our surrogates. Therefore, our patients can feel confident knowing their quest to expand their family through surrogacy is done so ethically and morally.

Feel free to contact us now. If you are in the USA or Canada, call us toll free at 1.888.832.2089. If you are calling from an international location, please dial us directly at 1.949.783.6827. You may also visit us at Thailand Surrogacy at www.thailand-surrogacy.com.