What causes the symptoms of PCOS? Most of the symptoms of PCOS are caused by higher-than-normal levels of certain hormones, called androgens. The ovaries produce hormones, which are chemicals that control functions in the body. One of the hormones that the ovaries make is estrogen—sometimes called the "female hormone" because women's bodies make more of it than men's bodies do. The ovaries also m ...

Neural tube defects are birth defects of the brain, spine, or spinal cord. They happen in the first month of pregnancy, often before a woman even knows that she is pregnant. The two most common neural tube defects are spina bifida and anencephaly. In spina bifida, the fetal spinal column doesn't close completely. There is usually nerve damage that causes at least some paralysis of the legs. In ane ...

Infertility treatment Treatment to help a person conceive naturally will depend on many factors, including the age of the person who wishes to conceive, how long infertility has lasted, personal preferences, and their general state of health. Frequency of intercourse The first strategy a couple trying to conceive may wish to try is having sexual intercourse more often around the time of ovulation ...

The following are common causes of infertility in men: Semen and sperm Sometimes the sperm cannot travel effectively to meet the egg. Semen is the milky fluid that a man's penis releases during orgasm. Semen consists of fluid and sperm. The fluid comes from the prostate gland, the seminal vesicle, and other sex glands. The sperm is produced in the testicles. When a man ejaculates and releases s ...

What Tests to be done for Endometriosis? I have chronic pelvic pain and think I might have endometriosis. What tests should I expect? Endometriosis is an often painful disorder in which tissue similar to the tissue that normally lines the inside of your uterus (the endometrium) grows outside your uterus. But many conditions can cause pelvic pain. So, you might need a variety of tests to help your ...

Frozen Embryo Transfer vs. Fresh Embryo Transfer A fresh embryo transfer occurs in the same cycle as the IVF cycle. The eggs are retrieved and fertilized in the lab. The embryos are allowed to develop and are then transferred back into the woman’s uterus around 5-6 days after the retrieval. A frozen embryo transfer is a little bit different. In this type of cycle, a woman undergoes IVF, her eggs a ...

The Last Phase of Your Monthly Cycle: During the second half of your menstrual cycle, the hormone progesterone kicks in to help prepare the lining of your uterus for a fertilized egg. If the egg isn't fertilized and doesn't implant, it disintegrates, progesterone levels fall, and about 12 to 16 days later, the egg -- along with blood and tissues from the lining of the uterus -- is shed from the bo ...

Ovulation and the Menstrual Cycle: During their reproductive years, women have regular monthly menstrual periods because they ovulate regularly each month. Eggs mature inside of fluid-filled spheres called “follicles.” At the beginning of each menstrual cycle when a woman is having her period, a hormone produced in the pituitary gland, which is located in the brain, stimulates a group of follicles ...