Fertility Flashcards
What is the definition of subferitlity
Infertility
what is infertility
a disease of the reproductive system defined by the failure to achieve a clinical pregnancy after 12 months (mark scheme also excepts 24 months) or more of regular unprotected sexual intercourse
what is primary infertility
When a woman is unable to ever bear a child, either due to the inability to become pregnant or the inability to carry a pregnancy to a live birth she would be classified as having primary infertility
What is secondary infertility
When a woman is unable to bear a child, either due to the inability to become pregnant or the inability to carry a pregnancy to a live birth following either a previous pregnancy or a previous ability to carry a pregnancy to a live birth
what are the causes of infertility
- Ovulatory disorders 25%
- Tubal damage 20%
- Uterine/peritoneal disorders 10%
- Male factors 30%
- Both male and female factors in 40% of cases where cause found
- Unexplained inferitility 25%
how can women work out there ovulating
LH test = LH peaks 36 hours before ovulation
temperature = increase in basal temperature rate
what are the general conception advice
- Intercourse throughout cycle
- Smoking
- Alcohol
- Folic acid 400mg, unless other problems than 5mg
- Weight
- Stress
- Caffeine – too much caffeine can cause stress levels to rise but no specific evidence
- Drugs – don’t like lansoprazole during pregnancy which is a PPI
- Occupation
what are the types of ovulatory causes of infertility
Type 1 - hypopituitary failure
type 2 - hypopituitary dysfunction
Type 3 - ovarian failure
describe examples of the different types of ovulatory causes of infertility
- Type 1 – hypopituitary failure – can be caused by anorexia nervosa
- Type 2 – hypopituitary dysfunction e.g. PCOS, hyperprolactinaemia
- Type 3 – ovarian failure (premature ovarian failure if under 40 years)
what is the difference between the polycystic ovaries and the actual symptoms
- need to have 2 out of 3 of the Rotterdam criteria to have PCOS
- a 1/3 of all women have polycystic ovaries
what is the Rotterdam criteria for PCOS
i)Clinical hyperandrogenaemia
ii) oligomenorrhoea (less than 6-9 menses per year)
Iii) 12 or more polycystic ovaries on ultrasound. Or ovaries greater than 10ml
what are the symptoms of PCOS
- irregular periods or periods that don’t work
- infertility hirsutism
- acne
- central obesity
- acanthuses nigricans
describe the hormones of PCOS
- Raised LH with normal FSH, Raised Testosterone (with or without reduced SHBG)
What does the raised testosterone in PCOS cause
- acne
- infertility hirsutism
what are the differential diagnosis to PCOS
- Exclude thyroid dysfunction, congenital adrenal hyperplasia, hyperprolactinaemia, androgen-secreting tumours.
what are people with PCOS at increased risk of
- If PCOS is confirmed they are at increased risk of altered lipid metabolism, and outside of pregnancy is to reduce weight is the best advice that can be given
List some tubal and uterine causes of infertility
- Pelvic inflammatory disease
- Previous tubular surgery including tubal surgery for ectopic pregnancy
- Endometriosis (tubal and uterine)
- Fibroids (uterine)
- Cervical mucus defect – some peoples cervical mucus is the wrong pH and this can kill the sperm
describe PID symptoms
- Asymptomatic
- pelvic pain
- deep dyspareunia
- malaise
- fever
- purulent vaginal discharge
describe the percentage cause of infertility and the increase in PID
More than 10% develop tubal infertility after 1 episode, 50% after 3 episodes
How do you treat PID
- antibiotics
- rest
- abstinence
what is the dentition of endometriosis
Presence of tissue histologically similar to endometrium outside the uterine cavity and myometrium
Most commonly found in the pelvis.
what are the symptoms of endometriosis
Pain, dysmenorrhoea, menorrhagia, dyspareunia
Ex: pelvic tenderness or mass, fixed uterus
describe the aetiology of endometriosis
- 1 in 5 women affected
- increased risk with age
- FH
- frequent cycles
How can you treat endometriosis
NSAIDs for pain, Norethisterone or COCP (4 packets run together),
Secondary Care-Danazol and GnRH agonists, Surgery.