During a normal menstrual cycle, the lining of your uterus -- called the endometrium -- begins to thicken in preparation for becoming pregnant. If you don't become pregnant that month, your body sheds the endometrium during menstruation and the process starts over. In endometriosis, for reasons that researchers don't entirely understand, tissue very similar to the endometrium begins to grow outsid ...

SIGNS OF INFERTILITY IN MEN AND WOMEN: 1. Irregular Periods: The average woman’s cycle is 28 days long. But anything within a few days of that can be considered normal, as long as those cycles are consistent. For example, a woman who has a 33-day cycle one month, a 31-day cycle the next, and a 35-day cycle after that, is probably having “normal” periods. But a woman whose cycles vary so greatly ...

If you've had regular, unprotected sex for more than a year without conceiving (or six months if you're older than 35), see your doctor. About 65 percent of couples that get treatment for a fertility problem are eventually able to have a successful pregnancy, according to Resolve, the national infertility association. The success rates below are based on averages gathered from large groups of pat ...

Damage to fallopian tubes (tubal infertility) Damaged or blocked fallopian tubes keep sperm from getting to the egg or block the passage of the fertilized egg into the uterus. Causes of fallopian tube damage or blockage can include: Pelvic inflammatory disease, an infection of the uterus and fallopian tubes due to chlamydia, gonorrhea or other sexually transmitted infections Previous surgery in t ...

Problems in the uterus or fallopian tubes can prevent the egg from traveling from the ovary to the uterus, or womb. If the egg does not travel, it can be harder to conceive naturally. Causes include: Surgery: Pelvic surgery can sometimes cause scarring or damage to the fallopian tubes. Cervical surgery can sometimes cause scarring or shortening of the cervix. The cervix is the neck of the uteru ...

What is Egg Freezing? Egg freezing, or oocyte cryopreservation, is a process in which a woman's eggs (oocytes) are extracted, frozen and stored as a method to preserve reproductive potential in women of reproductive age. The first human birth from a frozen oocyte was reported in 1986. Oocyte cryopreservation has advanced greatly over the past few years, with improved overall success of eggs survi ...

Polycystic ovarian syndrome: Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is a condition in which small follicles in the ovaries don't develop into the larger, mature follicles that release eggs. It's also characterized by hormone imbalances and unpredictable ovulation patterns. Possible symptoms: irregular periods, excessive hair growth, acne, and obesity. Possible solutions: Lifestyle modifications (lik ...

Ectopic pregnancy This is when a fertilized egg implants outside the womb, usually in a fallopian tube. If it stays in there, complications can develop, such as the rupture of the fallopian tube. This pregnancy has no chance of continuing. Immediate surgery is needed and, sadly, the tube on that side will be lost. However, future pregnancy is possible with the other ovary and tube. Women receivi ...