Female Fertility Services - Netcare Hospitals

What is infertility?

Infertility refers to the failure to conceive after regular unprotected sexual intercourse for two years in the absence of any known reproductive pathology. Primary female infertility implies that a woman has never conceived and secondary female infertility indicates that a woman has conceived at least once.

Causes of female infertility

Female infertility can be caused by various factors including the following:

Damage to the fallopian tubes

These tubes carry the eggs from the ovaries to the uterus. Damage to these tubes can prevent contact between the egg and the sperm. Pelvic infection, endometriosis and pelvic surgery may lead to scar formation and fallopian tube damage.

Causes of female infertility

Female infertility can be caused by various factors including the following:

Uterine causes

This could include abnormal anatomy of the uterus, or the presence of polyps and fibroids.

Causes of female infertility

Female infertility can be caused by various factors including the following:

Hormonal causes

Some women have problems with ovulation. Ovulation is when synchronised hormonal changes bring about the release of an egg from the ovary. Imbalances in these hormones may result in a failure to ovulate. Other medical conditions such as endometriosis may also result in infertility. Endometriosis is when the thickening of the endometrium (lining of the uterus) in preparation for the fertilised egg does not occur. Some of these problems may be detected using basal body temperature charts, ovulation predictor kits and blood tests to detect hormone levels.

Causes of female infertility

Female infertility can be caused by various factors including the following:

Cervical causes

A small group of women may have a cervical condition in which the sperm cannot pass through the cervical canal. This could be due to abnormal mucus production or a prior cervical surgical procedure. In some cases this may be treated with intrauterine inseminations.