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If you have been diagnosed with endometriosis or may suspect you are included in the percentage of the female population that has it, you may be concerned about your fertility levels and/or conceiving and carrying to term. Endometriosis is very common and affects between 6% and 10% of the general female population. About 30%-50% of women with it are infertile, and about 25%-50% of infertile women have endometriosis.

Here are some options to consider if you are diagnosed with endometriosis and are interested in becoming pregnant:

Expert Assistance

It is possible that some surgical operations associated with the diagnosis and treatment of endometriosis may affect your ability to become pregnant, so if you haven’t yet undergone any surgical procedures, it would be a good idea to discuss the risks with your doctor. You may also want to consider working with a fertility specialist who will help you find out the contributing factors to your infertility and determine the severity of your disorder.

Improving your Chances

There is no current evidence that suggests medication can assist you in getting pregnant if you live with endometriosis. However, your doctor may instruct you to take progestins so you can increase the level of pregnancy hormones in your body. Another suggestion is to follow a healthy lifestyle so you can decrease the chances of inflammation in your body and help your baby thrive throughout a healthy pregnancy:

• Maintain weight that is healthy for your body type.
• Engage in moderate exercise in your daily life.
• Consume nutrient-dense foods.

Treatments

1. Fertility medications are fairly common for women with endometriosis. These can range from progestin injections to fertility medications like Clophemene to help you produce 2-3 mature eggs.
2. You may also undergo regular ultrasounds to determine the maturity of your eggs. At the appropriate time, your doctor can insert collected sperm to assist in conceiving.
3. In vitro fertilization is also an option couples go for, whereby the egg is fertilized outside the body and then inserted into the uterus.
4. If you have mild endometriosis, or your endometriosis has not affected your fallopian tubes, you may consider intrauterine insemination.
5. A more costly option, and usually not covered by insurance, is to freeze your eggs. Endometriosis can affect your ovarian reserve, so this option helps if you want to try and become pregnant at a later time.

The good news is that many women living with endometriosis have managed to get pregnant using IVF, especially in cases of moderate or mild endometriosis. Though the chances are about 50% less than those of couples who use IVF due to other infertility reasons, many women with endometriosis are able to conceive and deliver a healthy baby. It is recommended that you start discussing your fertility options with your doctor even before you are thinking of getting pregnant.

Learn more about IVF: https://wny-obgyn.com/2022/03/ivf-step-by-step/