Learn about Fertility problems symptoms from Consumer Reports Health.

Fertility problems

What are the symptoms of infertility?

The obvious symptom of infertility is that you can't get pregnant when you want to.

Your doctor will be looking for clues why. He or she may ask personal questions that you may find upsetting or embarrassing. Be as open and honest as you can. This will make it easier to find out why.

Below are some of the things that may help explain why you haven't been able to get pregnant.

No periods or irregular periods

If you don't have a period roughly every four weeks, it may mean that the

hormones
Hormones are chemicals that are made in certain parts of the body. They travel through the bloodstream and have an effect on other parts of the body. For example, the female sex hormone estrogen is made in a woman's ovaries. Estrogen has many different effects on a woman's body. It makes the breasts grow at puberty and helps control periods. It is also needed to get pregnant.

hormones that control your menstrual cycle are not working properly. So you may not be ovulating regularly. You'll need hormone tests.

See What happens every month to find out more about hormones and your menstrual cycle.

Painful or heavy periods

This may mean there is:

Something wrong with the lining (endometrium) of your womb
A benign (non-cancerous) growth in your womb, such as a

fibroid
A fibroid is a lump of extra tissue that can build up in the wall of your womb. Sometimes it can grow big enough to feel. It can cause pain and bleeding, and make it difficult for a fertilized egg to take hold in your womb. If these problems become too bad, you can have fibroids removed by surgery.

fibroid or cyst
Tissue of the same type as the lining of the womb growing in other places. This is called endometriosis.

Painful sex

Sex can be painful for lots of different reasons. Some of them affect your fertility. For example, endometriosis can be painful for women during sex, bowel movements or when passing urine. Endometriosis is often found in women who have trouble getting pregnant.

Loss of sex drive

Trying to get pregnant can be stressful for both of you especially if you're having sex when you don't feel like it. This can lead to you both losing interest in sex. If you're not having sex frequently, it may lower your chances of getting pregnant. Discuss it with your doctor.

Problems ejaculating

You may have a climax during sex but nothing comes out. This is called retrograde ejaculation and it's rare if you haven't had surgery. It means semen is going into your bladder (the sac that holds your urine) instead of your penis. Normally, the neck of the bladder closes during sex to prevent semen from getting into it. But if there is damage to the nerves, the bladder may not close fully, allowing semen to get inside. Nerve damage can happen if you have

diabetes
Diabetes is a condition that causes too much sugar to circulate in your blood. It happens when your body stops making a hormone called insulin (type 1 diabetes) or when insulin stops working (type 2 diabetes).

diabetes, or after surgery.

This information was last updated on Mar 06, 2009

This information is for educational use only, and is not a substitute for prompt professional medical advice. Readers should always consult a physician or other professional for advice and treatment.
© BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2009. All rights reserved.

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