Female Fertility 101

Everything you ever needed to know (but were afraid to ask) about female fertility. We talk with Dr. Julie Lamb, a board-certified reproductive endocrinologist and infertility specialist at Pacific NW Fertility in Seattle who also serves as a clinical faculty at the University of Washington for this introduction to female fertility 101.

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Hit the Highlights

Understanding the menstrual cycle in a healthy woman.
- What can interfere with this cycle?
Understanding the basic of conception.
Basics of Infertility
- How is infertility defined?
- How common is it?
- What conditions would warrant an immediate infertility workup without waiting the recommended amount of time
  - Absence of or irregular menstrual cycle
  - Known or suspected uterine, tubal, or peritoneal disease
  - Stage III or stage IV endometriosis
  - Known or suspected male infertility
  - Surgery on female reproductive tract
  - Fibroids

- Recurrent Pregnancy Loss-defined

What percentage of infertility is caused by the female partner, the male partner, or both?
What causes a woman to not ovulate?
- PCOS
- Endocrine abnormalities
- Thyroid disorders
- Body weight
Initial workup for women who meet the definition of infertility.
- Essential components of an initial workup include a review of the medical history, physical examination, and additional tests. For the female partner, tests will focus on ovarian reserve, ovulatory function, and structural abnormalities.
  - What questions should be asked about medical history that would be relevant to the potential etiologies of infertility?
  - What should be the focus in the physical exam?
  - What tests are commonly used to determine ovarian reserve, ovulatory function, and structural abnormalities.

- Given the prevalence of male infertility, a women’s health specialist may reasonably obtain the male partner’s medical history and order the semen analysis.
- Imaging of the female reproductive organs provides valuable information on conditions that affect fertility. Imaging modalities can detect tubal patency and pelvic pathology and assess ovarian reserve.
  - What imagining is usually recommended to detect tubal patency and pelvic pathology and assess ovarian reserve

7. Workup for Recurrent Pregnancy Loss

8. Treatment Options for Infertility

- Natural conception rate
- Understanding the basics of fertility medications
  - Medications
  - How are they administered
  - Success rates
- IUI-
- IVF
  - Success rate