A girl’s entry into reproductive age is marked by the onset of ovulation, and the onset of menstruation. Generally speaking, the optimal age for a woman to have children is in her twenties. Fertility decreases with age and is lost after menopause (around 51 years old). Scientific and comprehensive fertility assessment will help reduce over-treatment and help you get pregnant sooner.

1. Reproductive system

The reproductive system, consisting of the vital organs involved in reproduction (ovaries/tubes/uterus/testicles, etc.) and many non-living substances (such as fluids, endocrine hormones and pheromones), and their proper functioning and interplay with each other, are closely related to human fertility, for more information, please click on the Fertility video to watch.

2. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the factors affecting human fertility include the following.

Causes of Infertility – >Science – >Solutions
2.1 Diseases of the reproductive organs

Women have disorders of the ovaries (the organ in which eggs are stored in numbers and grow), the fallopian tubes (the organ in which eggs and sperm meet and transport fertilized eggs to the uterus), and the uterus (the organ in which fertilized eggs continue to develop and the fetus grows)

In men, there are disorders of the testes (the organ that produces sperm) and reproductive tract obstructions (e.g., ejaculatory ducts and seminal vesicles obstructed to interfere with semen expulsion).

Recommendations of authoritative experts

● Chocolate cysts (uterine and ovarian lesions) that are not operated on prior to childbearing, when the ovarian cysts are removed, they can dislodge the surrounding stores of eggs as well, affecting the quality and quantity of the eggs.

● Surgical treatment of tubal disease affects should be treated with IVF as soon as possible, surgery so as not to miss the optimal treatment period.

● For other diseases of the reproductive organs, consult your doctor.

In addition, women should take good contraceptive measures, an abortion may have a 20% chance of infertility, and lead to various diseases of the reproductive organs; menstruation is prohibited during coitus, the cervical canal is in an open state, easy to bring bacteria to the reproductive organs and lead to lesions.

First and second generation IVF

1. Suitable for young women with high egg quality.

2. Suitable for infertility caused by male factor.

Avoiding tubal disease, cervical mucus abnormalities, and immunity, the eggs are removed from the ovaries through IVF treatment, fertilized and cultured in vitro, and then transplanted into a woman’s healthy uterus to develop
2.2 Endocrine hormone disruption

Diseases of the female hypothalamus and pituitary gland that affect egg maturation, development of the fertilized egg, and endometrial compatibility (good or bad soil for fetal growth);

Abnormalities in the hormones produced by the pituitary gland, hypothalamus and testes in men affect sperm production.

Abnormal secretion of endocrine hormones

:: Abnormalities in the quality of gametes: immaturity of the egg, inability to produce sperm.

● Abnormal development of the fertilized egg: if one of the spouses has problems, the embryo will stop developing.

:: Failure of the uterine lining (insufficiently fertile soil) to allow a fertilized egg to attach (become pregnant)

IVF (third in vitro fertilization)

Choosing the right clinic and doctor

1. Women get more mature, high-quality eggs

2. Men get more high quality sperm through top technology or sperm retrieval procedures.
2.3 Environment and lifestyle, affecting egg and sperm quantity and quality

Such as smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, obesity, stress, chronic sleep deprivation, in addition, exposure to environmental pollutants and toxins may also directly affect the gametes (eggs and sperm). This is specifically reflected in:

Abnormalities in reproductive indicators such as sex hormone six, AMH values and endometrial growth in girls.

The use of anabolic steroids in men may lead to abnormalities in reproductive indicators such as sperm count, shape, DNA fragmentation, etc., which in turn may lead to infertility.

Environment and lifestyle lead to

Reduced egg count: When a baby girl is born, there are about 1 million follicles in her ovaries, which decreases to about 300,000 potential eggs at puberty, and during her reproductive years, only about 300 will ovulate. As women age, they lose eggs naturally, and their ovarian reserve (number of follicles) and quality begin to decline. The ovarian reserve (number and quality of follicles) declines naturally with age. In young women, the ovarian reserve may be reduced by smoking, a family history of premature menopause, and previous ovarian surgery.

:: Reduced egg quality: The main cause of changes in egg quality is genetic abnormalities (i.e., too many or too few chromosomes in the egg). Normal gametes (egg or sperm) each have 23 chromosomes, and the embryo produced after fertilization has 46 chromosomes. As we age, more and more eggs will have too many or too few chromosomes, and the embryos that are successfully fertilized will have too many or too few chromosomes, resulting in failed conception or miscarriage. Examples include Down’s syndrome (caused by an extra chromosome in the 21st pair of the embryo).

3. Fertility test: You can take a fertility test in 2 ways.

3.1 Initial assessment of fertility by subjectively determining the following.

IBM index

Getting enough sleep vs.

Stress level of life

Smoking age and whether the attempted pregnancy is more than 1 to 2 years old

Dysmenorrhea, with or without pain or bleeding during intercourse

Is the interval between periods normal

Any history of ectopic pregnancy, miscarriage, history of fetal abruption

Any reproductive related diseases (pelvic inflammatory disease / diabetes / thyroid disease, chocolate cysts / adenomyosis / polycystic ovary syndrome / ectopic uterine content / tubal failure / cervicitis / vaginitis), etc.

3.2 Hospital Fertility Checkup: Click on Customized Appointment to follow the guidance for the checkup and the results of the checkup for self-testing; or submit the customized appointment information to consult with Hellobaby2 staff for a comprehensive fertility assessment.

4. Indicators of fertility check-ups

4.1 Female Fertility: Accurate fertility testing can accurately determine the number and quality of a woman’s eggs, which is the basis for the doctor’s IVF protocol. For example

>Anti-Mullerian Hormone (AMH): AMH is released by the granulosa cells of the early developing egg and helps to protect and mature the egg. In women, as the number of eggs decreases, the number of granulosa cells decreases and the level of AMH gradually decreases; in combination with sinus follicle ultrasound, it can provide a reasonable estimate of the ovarian reserve (the number of eggs remaining in the ovaries.) AMH also predicts the response of the ovaries to injections of fertility drugs and helps the doctor to develop a plan of treatment for IVF.

>Transvaginal ultrasound: transvaginal ultrasound assesses resting/sinus follicle count (AFC). The ultrasound usually occurs early in the menstrual cycle and is performed by counting the total number of follicles between 4 and 9 millimeters in both ovaries. These eggs may mature and ovulate, and a low follicle count implies that egg quality and quantity may be in question.

>sex hormone test

Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH): The main function of FSH hormone secreted by the anterior pituitary gland is to promote follicular development and maturation of the ovaries.The higher the FSH value, the poorer the quality of the eggs.High FSH is commonly seen in premature ovarian aging, ovarian insensitivity syndrome and primary amenorrhea.

Estradiol (E2): E2 increases as ovarian follicles are stimulated and increase in size. To assess and ensure the validity of FSH values, estradiol levels should be less than 50 pg/ml; if they are elevated above 50 pg/ml early in the cycle, the ovaries will respond prematurely and the quality of the eggs may be reduced.

Luteinizing Hormone (LH): LH tells the ovaries to release a mature egg. This process is called ovulation. High levels of LH may be a sign of pituitary disease or polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), while low levels may be a sign of pituitary disease or hypothalamus.

>Other female fertility tests

Hysteroscopy: A thin lighted tube is inserted into the vagina to examine the cervix and the inside of the uterus.

Laparoscopy: insertion of a fiber-optic instrument through a small incision in the abdominal wall to view the abdominal organs.

Saline Infusion Hysterosalpingography (SIS): simultaneous injection of sterile saline into the uterine cavity through a small catheter. Visualization is significantly enhanced by dilating the uterine cavity with the salt solution.

Hysterosalpingogram (HSG): An X-ray procedure during which dye passes through the cervix into the uterus and through the fallopian tubes.

4.2 Male Fertility: About half of all cases of infertility stem from male reproductive problems, and fortunately, we can treat a wide range of male-caused infertility.

>Semen analysis: Semen concentration this refers to the number of sperm in the ejaculate. When the sperm concentration is low (called oligospermia), the chances of the sperm reaching the egg in the woman’s fallopian tube are greatly reduced; when there is no sperm at all, it is called azoospermia;

Sperm Viability/Motion Analysis: Sperm must successfully swim through the woman’s cervix, uterus, and fallopian tubes in order to meet, and fertilize, an egg. The number of moving sperm and the way they move are both important factors. For example, some sperm may move, but only in circles or zigzags. Some may vibrate, but not move forward. Poor sperm motility is also known as weak spermatozoa. If more than 32% of the sperm are moving, they are considered normal.

Morphologic Analysis: Healthy sperm have smooth oval heads and long tails, which help propel them to swim. Abnormally shaped sperm are less likely to reach, puncture or enter the egg’s membrane. Having a large number of abnormal sperm is a sign of dyszoospermia. According to the Kruger morphology test, 14% or more of sperm with normally shaped heads are considered normal, and the risk of infertility is increased 2.9-fold when the normal morphology is less than 9%.

>Other assessments of male fertility: These include antisperm antibody testing, sperm DNA fragmentation analysis, infected semen cultures, conjugation studies, osmotic testing, and several other methods of assessing male fertility.

A scientific and comprehensive fertility assessment reduces over-treatment and helps you get pregnant sooner.