Endometriosis has been linked to women experiencing difficulty conceiving, and in some cases, suffering from infertility. While endometriosis has many symptoms and can present obstacles to women wanting to have a child, it is a myth that an endometriosis diagnosis always results in infertility. There is hope!
What is endometriosis?
Endometriosis is a reproductive disorder where the uterine tissue grows in areas outside of the uterus, such as the ovaries and fallopian tubes. Endometriosis is a complex disease that is often difficult to diagnose and properly manage.
The endometrial tissue usually exits the body during a woman’s menstrual period. However, in the case of endometriosis, the excess uterine lining has no way of exiting the body, as it is growing outside of the uterus. As a result, women may experience pelvic pain, as well as cysts and adhesions.
Symptoms of endometriosis can include pain during sex, heavy periods, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and painful bowel movements.
Endometriosis does not mean infertility
It can be difficult to determine whether or not a woman with endometriosis will be infertile. Still, there are plenty of women with endometriosis that experience healthy pregnancies, despite their symptoms.
While statistics on endometriosis are limited, it’s thought that between 60% and 70% of women with endometriosis are still fertile. Though it’s true that some women with endometriosis do experience difficulties getting pregnant, there is strong evidence that shows many women with this condition are still able to become pregnant, either with or without treatment.
How does endometriosis cause infertility?
A large factor in endometriosis causing infertility comes from lesions, which encompass an area of organs and tissues in the body that suffer damage from illness, disease, or injury. Endometriosis can result in inflammation in the pelvic area, cause scar tissue, and potentially, but rarely, stick different organs together, creating an internal lesion, and thus affecting a woman’s fertility.
It is true that some women with endometriosis do experience infertility as a result of uterine inflammation, and organ and tissue damage. Still, medical professionals do not fully understand why the disease can result in infertility. It’s thought that the scarring and adhesions that result from endometriosis can block the fallopian tubes or uterus making it difficult for the sperm to meet with the egg. If there is endometrial tissue on the ovaries, it can inhibit ovulation, stopping the release of an egg.
Additionally, inflammation caused by endometriosis can result in the production of cytokine chemicals. Cytokines can then reduce the functions of both sperm and egg cells, thus potentially causing fertilization to become more difficult.
Fertility treatment for endometriosis
Women often find that their infertility experiences can improve by treating the endometriosis itself. When abnormal endometriosis tissue is removed, organs in the pelvic region can often restore to their natural state. While there is no guarantee that endometriosis treatments will reduce symptoms and improve fertility, they can be effectively combined with fertility treatments so that women can still get pregnant and ultimately have children.
Surgery
Laparoscopy surgery is when a specialist inserts a fiber-optic instrument through tiny incisions in the abdomen to view the organs inside. The surgeon then uses very small tools to remove the endometrial lesions caused by the disease while leaving the surrounding healthy tissue as it is. In many cases, removing these lesions can help improve a woman’s chance of conceiving post-endometriosis.
Infertility treatment
In vitro fertilization (IVF)
Some women with endometriosis might look to fertility aid to conceive. In vitro fertilization (IVF) is often the most effective option for women with endometriosis, particularly if they can’t conceive following laparoscopy surgery.
Intrauterine insemination (IUI)
While less commonly known than IVF, this method injects a sperm cell into the uterus to ensure insemination during a woman’s peak ovulation window.
Third-party assisted
Third-party techniques can include egg and sperm donation or the use of a surrogate or gestational carrier. The former is for when a woman cannot produce healthy eggs and the latter is for when a woman cannot carry a pregnancy.
When speaking to your health care provider, it’s important to discuss what you are looking for from your treatment. If you do want to get pregnant and reduce the impact of common endometriosis symptoms, it’s important to make this clear to your doctor so that they can adjust the treatment plan to suit your needs. This is especially important because many endometriosis treatments utilize hormonal birth control or pain relievers, both of which are, in most cases, not suitable for use when a woman is trying to get pregnant.
If you have any questions about endometriosis, your ability to conceive, or are looking for a new provider for your annual check-up, we are here for you. We are committed to taking the uncertainty out of your fertility journey. Schedule an appointment online with one of our medical professionals directly through our online appointment scheduler.