Overview of Fertility and Recurrent Pregnancy Loss: Specialists in the Los Angeles, California Area

Our physicians at the Southern California Reproductive Center are among the most respected fertility specialists in the world. Serving the Los Angeles region, our offices in Beverly Hills, Valencia, Santa Barbara, and Ventura were established to treat infertility with the most advanced technology available today. The many issues involved in fertility, including female infertility, male infertility, and recurrent pregnancy loss, are treated at our California facilities with a reassuring combination of extensive experience and compassion.

• The Prevalence of Infertility
• Definition of Infertility
• What is a fertility specialist?
• Causes of Infertility
• Female Age and Fertility
• Miscarriage / Recurrent Pregnancy Loss

The Prevalence of Infertility

The American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) estimates that approximately 6 million Americans face fertility problems; that's roughly one of every six couples, or 10 percent of the reproductive-age population. You are certainly not alone when you deal with the issues and emotions of infertility.

There are many causes of fertility problems and recurrent pregnancy loss, and at the Southern California Reproductive Center we perform comprehensive infertility testing and evaluations to determine the likely cause of your fertility problem as well as the best possible course of action to reach your goal. Your physician and staff will design a treatment plan that best fits your family goals and personal desires, while simultaneously ensuring the best possible medical control of your unique fertility needs.

We encourage our patients to learn about the various causes of infertility, recurrent pregnancy loss, and the options for overcoming these obstacles. It's good to be a well-educated consumer of any kind of health care — even more so for couples who are seeking an answer to their difficulties in conceiving a child.

If you feel that you may have a fertility problem, schedule a consultation at the Southern California Reproductive Center. The fertility specialists at our Los Angeles-area offices can discuss your circumstances, answer your questions, and arrange testing if you desire it.

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Definition of Infertility

Fertility is defined as the ability for an individual to conceive and bear children; infertility implies the state of diminished capacity to do so. Physicians frequently refer to the clinical definition of infertility as the inability to conceive after 12 months of frequent, unprotected intercourse. This definition is based on historical and mathematical fertility models. For example, in a large study examining couples attempting to conceive, approximately 50 percent were pregnant within three months, 70 percent within six months, and 85 percent within one year. Mathematical and statistical models of healthy young women also estimate that more than 90 percent can be expected to be pregnant after one year of frequent, unprotected intercourse. The incidence of infertility among young, reproductive-age women is approximately 15 percent, based on inability to conceive after 12 months of unprotected intercourse.

However, this should not imply that one must wait an entire year before seeking a fertility evaluation. Symptoms of irregular menstrual or ovulatory cycles, sexual dysfunction, excessive hair growth, or previous genital surgery or trauma may indicate an underlying disorder that requires earlier treatment. Since a woman's fertility declines naturally with age, couples should consider medical assistance after six months of trying to conceive if the woman is over age 35.

Consult fertility specialists such as those at the Los Angeles-area Southern California Reproductive Center:

• If you're under 35 years old and have been trying to get pregnant for more than a year

Or

• If you're over 35 and have been actively trying to get pregnant for at least six months

Here are other reasons to consult fertility specialists. If you currently have or have had any of the following:

• Multiple miscarriages (recurrent pregnancy loss)
• Blocked fallopian tubes
• Ovulatory problems
• Menstrual irregularity
• Endometriosis
• Pelvic adhesions
• Uterine fibroids
• Genetic concerns
• Failure to conceive after three to six months of clomiphene therapy
• Insufficient sperm

See the qualified and experienced fertility specialists at the Southern California Reproductive Center, with offices in Beverly Hills , Ventura, Valencia, and Santa Barbara. They can evaluate your medical history and condition, and find the best options for you.

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What is a fertility specialist?

Fertility specialists are physicians who have pursued additional training for the medical or surgical treatment of infertility. Fertility specialists devote all or a very large percentage of their practice to treating infertility. An individual infertility specialist may also be a Reproductive Endocrinologist (RE), a physician trained first in Obstetrics and Gynecology, then fellowship-trained for at least two additional years in reproductive endocrinology and infertility. The Southern California Reproductive Center fertility specialists are committed full-time to the study and treatment of all aspects of fertility. Their experience and commitment speak for themselves.

Because of the rapidly advancing nature of the technology of infertility treatment, this commitment is not only typical, but also necessary for fertility specialists to stay up to date in the field. In addition, because your treatment is regulated by your physiological needs, not an office schedule, our fertility specialists and staff are available seven days a week and are committed to the time- and labor-intensive nature of the fertility treatment regimen. Our staff and facility are ready to meet the needs and complexity of your medication, testing, and treatment schedules. This kind of commitment is a necessity for proper support of your needs and the greatest assurance of a successful outcome.

Infertility can weigh heavily on the emotional well-being of couples, as can recurrent pregnancy loss. At each of the Southern California Reproductive Center's offices, emotional support is provided by our in-house support groups and by individual counseling sessions with a staff member with a Ph.D. in psychology who is highly experienced in the emotional impact of infertility and recurrent pregnancy loss. The Southern California Reproductive Center is committed to helping you stay both physically and emotionally balanced throughout the entire treatment process. Contact our fertility specialists in Los Angeles to get the support you need.

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Causes of Infertility

A man may have fertility problems because he does not have enough sperm, because the sperm do not move or function properly, or because the passageways for the sperm are blocked. Disease, fevers or infection, and congenital abnormalities can contribute to diminished fertility in men.

A woman may have fertility problems because some parts of her reproductive system are not functioning properly due to problems with hormone production, disease, infections, or congenital abnormalities. These factors may interfere with fertility in a number of ways:

• Ovulation may not occur
• The uterus may not be properly prepared to receive the developing embryo
• The fallopian tubes may be blocked, diseased, or bound by scar tissue
• There may not be adequate cervical mucus for the sperm's survival

In both the male and female, poor general health may contribute to diminished fertility. Obesity, poor eating habits, too much stress, smoking, and alcohol intake can make fertility problems worse. For example, according to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, 12 percent of all fertility issues are a result of a woman either weighing too little or too much, causing an imbalance in her estrogen level.

Another possible cause of diminished fertility is the development of antibodies to sperm, either in the male or female. Such antibodies may attack and impair sperm and thus prevent conception. If you suspect that any of these problems may be affecting you, contact the Southern California Reproductive Center to speak with one of our fertility specialists. We have offices in Beverly Hills, Ventura, Valencia, and Santa Barbara.

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Pregnancy Requirements

Pregnancy results from the timely and successful coordination of a series of physical events in healthy individuals:

• Production of a high-quality oocyte (egg)
• Production and deposition of viable sperm
• A healthy, unblocked reproductive system in which an embryo can be transported into the uterus for implantation.

Any disruption in these events may result in diminished fertility. Accordingly, the major causes or etiologies of diminished fertility fall into four major categories:

1. Abnormalities in oocyte production or ovary function (ovulatory or ovary factor)

2. Abnormalities in sperm production (male factor)

3. Abnormalities of the female reproductive tract (uterotubal/anatomic factor)

4. Unexplained and other conditions

The relative incidence of each type of fertility problem depends greatly on the population studied. Overall, male and female partners contribute equally, with some degree of male factor implicated in 40 percent of cases. However, when evaluating the main or primary infertility diagnosis, the distribution is as depicted in the following graph

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Female Age and Fertility

A woman’s fertility is affected primarily by her age, as this determines the quality of her oocytes (eggs) and follicles (the unit containing the oocyte and the cells and fluid surrounding the oocyte). The inverse relationship between female age and fertility / pregnancy rates has been well documented.

As the graph below indicates, the probability of conceiving each month decreases significantly as a woman grows older.

A woman's age is therefore a primary indicator for the best course of fertility treatment, since success rates drop dramatically after age 34. For example, a 38-year-old woman may not have time, in reproductive years, to experiment with less aggressive treatment options, and may consider the advanced therapies during fertility diagnosis and treatment planning.

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Miscarriage / Recurrent Pregnancy Loss

In addition, the incidence of miscarriage, or spontaneous abortion, increases with maternal age. While the causes of miscarriage may be multifactorial, a major cause of maternal age-related miscarriage is the increased incidence of chromosomal abnormalities with increasing age .

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We're very sensitive to the emotions and difficulties surrounding the issue of recurrent pregnancy loss at the Southern California Reproductive Center, and we'll do all that we can to help you successfully bring a pregnancy to term and birth.

Contact Our Fertility Specialists

No matter what your age, you can contact the fertility specialists of the Southern California Reproductive Center to answer your questions about female (or male) fertility. With four offices in the Los Angeles region, the fertility specialists at our Beverly Hills, Valencia, Ventura, and Santa Barbara locations make it easy to get complete and confidential information.

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