Guest Columnist
How Fertile Are You? – What Women Need to Know to Understand Their Potential Fertility
By
Aug 19, 2010 - 11:44:19 AM

(HealthNewsDigest.com) - Most women seem to understand instinctively that fertility declines with age. The “why” of it is generally less clear. There are a number of factors that contribute to age related fertility decline, but by far the most influential is a progressive decline in what we refer to as egg/embryo “competence.” Simply put, this is the ability for any given egg/embryo to develop into a healthy baby.

It is a fact that, in relation to other species, humans are poor
reproducers. We only have about a 20% chance of conceiving in a given month
– which, due to the chance of miscarriage, translates to just a 10-12%
chance of having a baby. This is largely because of the prevalence of
chromosomal abnormalities within a woman’s eggs that render them unable to
produce a “normal” pregnancy. Our research indicates that even in a woman
under 35, at least 60% of her eggs have inherent numerical chromosomal
abnormalities – meaning that they contain either too many or too few
chromosomes. By age 40, this percentage increases to more than 80%, and by
age 45, it’s likely to be well above 90%. It’s no wonder conception is
tough!
The result of these abnormalities is usually failure to conceive or early
miscarriage. While most such embryos will usually miscarry early in the
first trimester of pregnancy, a few continue to develop into viable fetuses,
some of which proceed to a live birth and manifest as a birth defect such as
Trisomy-21 (Down's syndrome)
As a general rule, a woman’s peak fertile years are her
early-to-mid-twenties. Fertility typically begins to decline in the late
twenties. Once a woman reaches her 40’s, she is more likely than not to
require medical intervention.
And don’t overlook the male component of the fertility equation. Male
factors account for about 40% of conception problems.
So how can a woman know the status of her fertility? I recommend a periodic
fertility evaluation, which can be performed by an OB/GYN or fertility
specialist. Some relatively simple and inexpensive tests can give a good
indication of overall fertility.

• Antral Follicle Count. Done via ultrasound, this test gives an
indication of a woman’s ovarian reserve (how many eggs she has left).
• Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) level. This measurement can
indicate how “hard” a woman’s body is working to prepare remaining eggs for
ovulation. A higher number indicates a diminished egg supply.
• Semen Analysis. This is a simple way to gauge the male partner’s
contribution to the fertility equation.
Taken together with your individual and your family’s medical histories, the
screening helps establish where you are on your personal fertility curve.
Annual evaluations will flag changes in key hormone levels and mature egg
production that could indicate that follow-up with your doctor, gynecologist
or a reproductive specialist is warranted.
You can find more educational information on the Sher Institute website at
www.haveababy.com or on my blog at www.IVFAuthority.com
Dr. Geoffrey Sher, Executive Medical Director and co-founder of SIRM, is an
internationally renowned expert in the field of Assisted Reproductive
Technology (ART) and has been influential in the births of more than 16,000
babies throughout his career.

Over the last 27 years, Dr. Sher has helped fashion the entire field of ART.
After training under "The Father of IVF" Dr. Patrick Steptoe, Dr. Sher
established the first private IVF program in the United States in 1982. He
later established a number of centers throughout California before founding
the first SIRM office – in Las Vegas.

For more than two decades, Dr.Geoffrey Sher and his medical team have been
on the leading edge of IVF research. Each significant breakthrough has been
incorporated into SIRM treatment protocols – lending the benefit of those
many years’ of IVF experience to every SIRM office.

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