Infertility

What causes infertility?

A wide range of factors can cause infertility. So many different components come into play to get pregnant — from the partner’s sperm quality to the regularity of ovulation to both of your stress levels — that about one-third of infertility cases have no known cause. 

The team at Women’s Health Care Center of Houston can help you determine if you’re experiencing infertility because of a problem with your reproductive system. Some of the issues they most commonly see include:

• Blockage or damage in the fallopian tubes
• Ovulation disorders
• Endometriosis
• Abnormalities in the uterus or cervix
• Pelvic adhesions

Fortunately, even if you get diagnosed with one of these issues or they can’t find a reason for your infertility, your provider can still work with you to find the best path to pregnancy. For many women, that means intrauterine insemination. 

What is intrauterine insemination (IUI)?

IUI circumvents much of the normal reproductive process by placing a high-quality sperm sample directly in your uterus while you’re ovulating. 

By placing the sperm in your uterus, you can skip challenges in getting pregnant like thick cervical mucus. Your Women’s Health Care Center of Houston provider carefully times this procedure to line up with your ovulation, so it’s ideal for women who have irregular ovulation. 

The sperm placed during your procedure undergoes treatment to ensure the best results from your IUI, too. After the sperm sample is collected, your Women’s Health Care Center of Houston provider washes it to separate the most active sperm from lower-quality sperm. 

This way, the sperm sample placed during your IUI consists of concentrated, high-quality sperm to heighten your chances of getting pregnant. 

Is IUI right for me?

Ten of thousands of people have gotten pregnant after choosing IUI. The Women’s Health Care Center of Houston team recommends it for people with unexplained infertility or conditions that make getting pregnant harder, like endometriosis. 

Many people choose IUI because it’s more affordable than in vitro fertilization (IVF), too. Before you spend large sums of money on IVF, the Women’s Health Care Center of Houston staff recommends first trying more affordable IUI.

For the infertility care, you need to get pregnant, call Women’s Health Care Center of Houston, or schedule your appointment online today.