What are the symptoms of infertility?

Written by Shen Li Wen
Obstetrics and Gynecology
Updated on December 14, 2024
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There are many causes of infertility, so depending on different reasons, the clinical manifestations also vary. For instance, some women suffer from infertility due to abnormal ovulation, which could manifest as abnormalities in the menstrual cycle such as prolonged absence of menstruation, like in polycystic ovary syndrome, or irregular vaginal bleeding. Some women have uterine factors that cause infertility, such as common post-multiple intrauterine operations leading to intrauterine adhesions, where a woman might experience reduced menstrual flow or even amenorrhea, accompanied by painful menstruation. Additionally, infertility in some women might be due to cervical factors, possibly presenting with thick vaginal discharge, contact bleeding, or blood-tinged discharge. Partially, some women might have ovarian endometriomas, which can cause severe painful menstruation and increased menstrual volume, among other symptoms.

Other Voices

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Written by Zhao Min Ying
Reproductive Medicine
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Can sexual apathy cause infertility?

Sexual indifference is a matter concerning the harmony of sexual life between couples, the stability of their relationship, and the quality of life. Regarding fertility, as long as the couple can have sexual intercourse, the male can ejaculate, and the semen can be deposited into the female reproductive tract, there is a chance of pregnancy. Therefore, from this perspective, mere sexual indifference, as long as intercourse can be completed, does not affect conception. However, if sexual indifference prevents intercourse, then it does affect the possibility of pregnancy. Therefore, ultrasound monitoring of ovulation and guiding intercourse during the ovulation period can increase the chances of pregnancy. When necessary, artificial insemination can also be considered to aid conception.

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Written by Zhao Li Li
Obstetrics
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Why does adenomyosis cause infertility?

Under normal circumstances, adenomyosis is mainly due to factors such as the elasticity of muscle fibers in the uterine muscle layer, leading to abnormal enlargement of the uterus. This causes severe complications such as increased menstrual flow and painful menstruation. There are no specific treatment methods. During the onset of adenomyosis, it might affect the normal menstrual cycle of women, leading to increased menstrual flow or irregular menstruation. This can easily interfere with the normal development and ovulation of follicles, therefore significantly impacting normal conception. Once diagnosed, it is also necessary to actively treat the symptoms to avoid delaying normal conception.

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Written by Zhao Min Ying
Reproductive Medicine
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How to diagnose infertility

When a couple lives together, has regular sexual intercourse without contraception for over a year, and does not conceive, it is termed infertility. If it concerns the female, it is called infertility, and if it concerns the male, it is called sterility. If a woman has previously been pregnant or has a history of childbirth or pregnancy, it is known as secondary infertility. If she has never been pregnant or had a childbirth, it is considered primary infertility. The same categories apply to males: those with a history of fathering a child, regardless of with which partner, are described as having secondary sterility, whereas those who have never impregnated a woman suffer from primary sterility. To diagnose infertility or sterility, one needs to undergo relevant medical checks at a hospital's reproductive medicine department. These examinations include ovulation monitoring, endocrine tests, gynecological examinations for women, and semen analyses and fallopian tube inspections for men, among others.

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Written by Kang Jian Hua
Reproductive Center
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"What does infertility OC mean?"

Infertility OC refers to the ovarian stimulation protocols for in vitro fertilization (IVF), commonly divided into long and short protocols. Ovarian stimulation in IVF is done to obtain more eggs for better results. The choice between protocols is not determined by time, but by assessing the patient’s ovarian function. Patients with good ovarian function use the long protocol, while those with poor ovarian function use the short protocol. Although the long protocol takes more time, it provides better ovulation results and a more consistent ovarian response, preventing premature ovulation. The short protocol, although quicker, often has less effective stimulation results and an inconsistent ovarian response, which frequently leads to premature ovulation. Thus, the long protocol is the standard for ovarian stimulation, while the short protocol is a contingency plan used when there is concern that poor ovarian function might prevent follicle development with the long protocol.

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Written by Kang Jian Hua
Reproductive Center
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How to cure immune infertility

Immune infertility comes in many forms, such as anti-sperm antibody positivity and anti-endometrial antibody positivity, among others. The treatment for immune infertility commonly involves the use of isolating therapy, which entails using a condom during sexual intercourse. After using this method for three to six months, it can reduce further stimulation of the female by the sperm antigen, and once the antibody effect has dissipated, intercourse is timed with ovulation. At this time, conception is often possible. For immune infertility, some may choose intrauterine artificial insemination depending on the situation, which involves processing and separating the husband's semen outside the body to extract high-quality sperm for intrauterine insemination. Another method is anti-immune therapy, but the medications often have adverse side effects on the body.