In today’s healthcare system, biomedicine is the universal help for almost any health disparity. Moreover, fertility is the ability to conceive biologically that will later produce offspring. Biomedicine and treatments have grown and expanded in the past century. Doctors recommend medicines to help women get pregnant. Also, doctors offer procedures for the same situation. Sometimes we just need a little science to help us! Therefore, oral fertility medicine and fertility treatments can help women have higher chances of becoming pregnant.
Fertility Treatment Options
Today you may be reading this article because of your interest in getting pregnant. In this article, there are different options women can choose to help them become pregnant. Three types of fertility treatment options are suitable for any woman:
- fertility drugs
- In Vitro Fertilization IVF
- Natural Cycle In Vitro Fertilization IVF
Fertility Drugs
Moreover, the doctor will recommend fertility drugs to help women ovulate or to start IVF. First, the oral medications mostly recommended are Clomid, Femara, or Metformin. Clomid causes the female body to believe estrogen levels are lower than they are, which causes the pituitary gland to increase secretion of follicle stimulating hormone, or FSH, and luteinizing hormone, or LH (Marygrace, 2020). High levels of FSH, or follicle stimulating hormone, will cause the ovary to produce an egg. Once this happens, LH, or luteinizing hormone will stimulate ovulation.
Secondly, Femara is the brand that represents this type of oral medication known as letrozole. Specifically, letrozole is an oral fertility enhancing medication for patients with ovulatory problems, such as failure to ovulate or inconsistent ovulation (Roswell OB/GYN, LLC, 2019). The recommendation of this drug is based on anovulation. PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome), anovulation, irregular ovulation, luteal phase deficiency, and progesterone deficiency causes anovulation (2019).
Third, metformin helps lower blood sugar in women to produce insulin naturally (U.S. National Library for Medicine, n.d.). In research from National Library for Medicine, metformin helps your body control the amount of glucose, decreases the amount of glucose you absorb from your food and the amount of glucose made by your liver (n.d.). An important treatment for women, this medication helps GDM or type 2 diabetes in pregnancy in women, including reducing insulin resistance, body weight, and the long-term risk of diabetes (Zisser, 2007).
In Vitro Fertilization IVF
Moreover, the two types of fertilization involving IVF are injection by hormones or a natural occurring cycle. First, eggs are fertilized by sperm outside of your body in a laboratory or fertility clinic for IVF (Marygrace, 2020). Following the process of fertilizing eggs by sperm, one or more fertilized eggs are transferred into your uterus for implantation to cause pregnancy.
On the contrary, a natural cycle IVF skips the hormone injection phase. After monitoring your natural cycle, your doctor will take an egg when your body is ready to ovulate. Finally, the egg is fertilized in a laboratory like a traditional IVF and then transferred to your uterus.
Summary
Conception is both a positive and negative process for each couple. However, research the best option for you and your partner while planning to become pregnant. There are several ways science intervenes when it comes to fertility. Remember to have your partner tested for sperm infertility. Also, women with PCOS might have an underlying problem that is causing infertility. This website gives you an overall scope on PCOS… https://spectrum.diabetesjournals.org/content/20/2/85
All in all, your window to become pregnant is never over if the doctor’s prognosis is infertility. Ultimately, your belief system plays an important role in life. Jesus says, “all things are possible to him who believes” (BibleGateway, n.d.).
Author: Jamie Moore Sam Houston State University Pre-Nursing
References
BibleGateway. (n.d.). Mark 9:23 (NKJV). Bible Gateway. Retrieved March 23, 2021, from https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark%209%3A23&version=NKJV
Marygrace, T. (2020, October 27). The 7 Top Fertility Treatments Used by Couples Who Need Help Conceiving. What to Expect. https://www.whattoexpect.com/getting-pregnant/fertility-tests-and-treatments/top-fertility-treatments/#naturalcycle
Roswell OB/GYN, LLC. (2019, April 1). Letrozole Guideline | Roswell OBGYN. https://roswellobgyn.org/letrozole-guideline/
U.S. National Library for Medicine. (n.d.). Glyburide and Metformin: MedlinePlus Drug Information. Retrieved March 23, 2021, from https://medlineplus.gov/druginfo/meds/a699055.html
Zisser, H. C. (2007, April 1). Polycystic Ovary Syndrome and Pregnancy: Is Metformin the Magic Bullet? Diabetes Spectrum. https://spectrum.diabetesjournals.org/content/20/2/85
