The Sunday News
Tine Mataz
HI again. I hope you are all doing well and practising safe hygiene during this Covid-19 crisis. I think this week’s topic is one of the really important ones — infertility. Quite often women ask about their chances of conceiving with endometriosis. Infertility is one symptom of endometriosis, and endometriosis is one of the leading causes of infertility.
How does endometriosis cause infertility?
Research has found that 30-50 percent of people with endometriosis suffer from infertility. There are a number of theories, although unproven, that explain why endometriosis causes infertility. Some of the theories are: Inflammation — This creates chemicals called cytokines. The latter can stop the sperm and egg cells from being fertilised. Scarring and adhesions — This can block the fallopian tubes. This then results in difficulty of the sperm meeting the egg. Endometriosis can also halt ovulation, preventing release of the egg. Poor egg quality — Some women may ovulate but produce poor quality eggs that cannot be fertilised.
There are also alternative options to be a mother especially if falling pregnant puts your life at risk. I am a firm believer that there are many ways of being a mother. Many women who have endometriosis are depressed because they have failed to conceive but you can still try other options. These include: In vitro fertilisation (IVF) — This is a process of fertilisation where an egg is fertilised with sperm outside the body, in vitro.
A woman’s ovulation is monitored and an ovum (egg) is removed and fertilised in a liquid laboratory. This is an option because a woman with endometriosis womb may not be a conducive environment for egg fertilisation. Surrogacy — This is an arrangement, usually legal, where a woman agrees to carry a child for another woman. Donor eggs — This is a process where a woman donates eggs to enable another woman to conceive as part of an assisted reproduction treatment.
This is a tough subject, but all in all, if you are struggling with fertility I want you to know there is hope. So many women who were told they would never conceive, have had miracles. Also remember that not having children does not make you less of a woman. Keep the faith!
Don’t give up. Love and light, until next week!
