Infertility Specialist

Infertility Q & A

What is infertility?

Infertility is defined as failing to conceive after having unprotected sex for up to a year. A diagnosis of infertility also includes if your pregnancies end in miscarriages or stillbirths.

What causes infertility?

Infertility is an issue shared equally by both men and women. When it comes to women, infertility issues tend to stem from problems associated with ovulation. These include:

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS): PCOS is the most common cause of infertility in women. While there are other symptoms associated with PCOS, this disorder causes you to either not ovulate or to ovulate irregularly, making it difficult to conceive.
Diminished ovarian reserve (DOR): DOR happens when you’re either born with fewer eggs than normal, or the number of eggs in your ovaries declines faster than usual. Conception is possible; it just takes longer.
Functional hypothalamic amenorrhea: Excessive exercise, stress, or low body weight, especially when it comes to eating disorders like anorexia, causes your periods to become erratic or stop altogether.
Improper gland function: Your hypothalamus and pituitary glands don’t produce the hormones necessary to maintain normal ovarian function.
Premature ovarian insufficiency (POI): POI, or early menopause, happens when your ovaries stop working before you turn 40.

How is infertility diagnosed?

There are several tests Dr. Sharma uses to find out if you’re infertile. She also uses individualized medicine to help find the cause of your infertility.

Dr. Sharma begins by conducting a physical exam and doing several blood tests to check your hormone levels. She also does an ovulation test, either through a blood test that measures hormone levels or through an ultrasound of your ovaries. If your ovulation is normal, she conducts additional fertility tests, including:

Hysterosalpingography: Hysterosalpingography is an X-ray of your female organs using a special dye to find physical blocks that make it so your eggs either can’t make it to your uterus or your partner’s sperm can’t reach your eggs, causing infertility.
Laparoscopy: Laparoscopy is a minor surgery where Dr. Sharma makes a small cut in your lower abdomen to check your ovaries, fallopian tubes, and uterus for scarring, endometriosis, or other diseases and physical problems.