Understanding Infertility: Causes and Solutions

Pregnancy Not an Easy Process for Some Women

Inability to Conceive For Unknown Reasons

Essence, “the most significant element, quality or aspect of a thing or person”[1], according to a dictionary definition. And there can be nothing like a woman’s innate ability, her essence, to become pregnant and give birth. Needless to say, pregnancy is not an easy process for all women, and there are some who never get pregnant.

Given their unique makeup, the woman, her anatomy, her physiology, her essence and given a woman’s remarkable nurturing place, namely the womb, there are women who are sometimes unable to conceive and bear a child for unknown reasons. Such an outcome leads to disappointment, sadness and stress.

Alternative Processes Towards Conceptions

That said, there are a number of conventional and alternative medical processes, therapies and treatments available to women. Depending on the woman, her circumstances and her health history, some of these may prove to be the catalyst that helps her get pregnant.

Parameters of Therapies and Treatment

However, there are advantages and disadvantages to medications, therapies and treatment. These can arise from the couple’s financial means, the side effects of medication, the risks of therapy or treatment and the woman’s overall makeup and possibly even the impact on her husband and others around her.

Infertility Causes

Based on research published in the National Library of Medicine under the title Female Infertility [2], approximately 35% of the causes of infertility in couples are attributable to the woman, with the overall figures broken down as follows:

• Ovulation disorders at 25%
• Endometrial issues at 15%
• Pelvic adhesions at 12%
• Fallopian tube blockage at 11%
• Other related tubal or uterine abnormalities at 11%
• Hyperprolactinemia at 7%

These can be divided into structural problems, such as problems with the fallopian tube, uterus or cervix, which may be due to the manifestation of fibroids, insufficient opening of the cervix or blockage of the fallopian tube or uterus by scar tissue. However, these are just a few examples, as infertility can also be due to other causes and even combine several causes. For example, infertility can be due to ovulation disorders caused by a lack of hormones, the effects of various medications, underlying health problems and advancing age. All these factors can affect the function of the ovaries and lead to ovarian failure.

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You Are Not to Blame

A woman’s inability to conceive can be stressful for both her and her husband, as he too may desire to have children and may be impacted by hormonal or structural issues. As a result, the two may find that they feed-off of each other’s anxiety and stress, leading to more anxiety and more stress. This can adversely affect the couple’s mood and attitude towards each other. If the stress and anxiety are not managed properly, the marriage can break down.

The wife may begin to internalize and blame herself, or feel that others think she is at fault, such as parents who want to be grandparents or siblings who want to be aunts or uncles. Husbands, on the other hand, may feel helpless, even powerless, because they do not know how to deal with the infertility or whether they can comfort their wife. Those affected should bear in mind that they are not the other person’s opponent. It is the fertility, or the lack thereof that needs to be addressed jointly and together.

Resolve.org is a resource that women can turn to for emotional support when dealing with infertility.

Stimulating Ovulation

Although couples will likely go through a period of helplessness, they can arm themselves with knowledge by finding out where the infertility stems and looking for conventional or alternative ways that could help them conceive in a healthy way.  Healthcare professionals specializing in fertility may recommend and prescribe medications such as Clomid (clomiphene citrate) [3], FSH (follicle stimulating hormone) [4] or HCG (human gonadotropins) [5] to stimulate a woman’s ovulation. As all medications can have potential side effects, a woman should carefully research and consider what works for her and have an in-depth conversation with her personal healthcare provider.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for Fertility

Women seeking a more holistic approach to their fertility may consider TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) [6], which is recognized as an effective treatment for infertility. TCM can be used alone or in conjunction with conventional Western medicine.

Within the framework of TCM, acupuncture [7] and herbal medicines can be used, and the woman can be advised to eat certain foods according to her particular constitution, all with the aim of creating a balance in the body and opening blocked meridians that could hinder fertilization.

Ultimately, TCM can help to restore the balance of the organ systems as a whole and the endocrine system in particular. Regardless of the type of treatment or therapy, women should be patient and wait hopefully for a positive outcome with hope. 

Considering the possibilities offered by medicine, science and alternative approaches, a woman’s desire to get pregnant and experience a healthy, happy pregnancy is entirely possible. For those for whom this is still out of reach, it is worth remembering that not all mothers are biologically mothers, and that there are also women who fill that gap as amazing and wonderful aunts.

So, regardless of the outcome, in all you do strive to be “fertile”.

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[1] Essence: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/essence

[2] Walker MH, Tobler KJ. Female Infertility. [Updated 2022 May 26]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2022 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK556033/

[3] Yilmaz S, Yilmaz Sezer N, Gönenç İM, İlhan SE, Yilmaz E. Safety of clomiphene citrate: a literature review. Cytotechnology. 2018 Apr;70(2):489-495. doi: 10.1007/s10616-017-0169-1. Epub 2017 Nov 20. PMID: 29159661; PMCID: PMC5851961.

[4] Raju GA, Chavan R, Deenadayal M, Gunasheela D, Gutgutia R, Haripriya G, Govindarajan M, Patel NH, Patki AS. Luteinizing hormone and follicle stimulating hormone synergy: A review of role in controlled ovarian hyper-stimulation. J Hum Reprod Sci. 2013 Oct;6(4):227-34. doi: 10.4103/0974-1208.126285. PMID: 24672160; PMCID: PMC3963304.

[5] Theofanakis C, Drakakis P, Besharat A, Loutradis D. Human Chorionic Gonadotropin: The Pregnancy Hormone and More. Int J Mol Sci. 2017 May 14;18(5):1059. doi: 10.3390/ijms18051059. PMID: 28505106; PMCID: PMC5454971.

[6] Huang ST, Chen AP. Traditional Chinese medicine and infertility. Curr Opin Obstet Gynecol. 2008 Jun;20(3):211-5. doi: 10.1097/GCO.0b013e3282f88e22. PMID: 18460933.

[7] Zhu J, Arsovska B, Kozovska K. Acupuncture Treatment for Fertility. Open Access Maced J Med Sci. 2018 Sep 19;6(9):1685-1687. doi: 10.3889/oamjms.2018.379. PMID: 30337989; PMCID: PMC6182526.