WEST MICHIGAN — April is Fertility Awareness Month, and it's an important one for both women and men.
Roughly 1 in 6 people worldwide experience infertility, but many people go untreated because of cost, limited availability, and social/person stigma.
Dr. Diana Bitner with True Women's Health joined FOX 17 to talk about fertility awareness. She says fertility is best to be thought of as caused by factors, not fault.
Female fertility concerns:
- Metabolic health
- Too little or too much body fat
- Blood sugar & inflammation
- Severe stress
- Brain
- Thyroid issues can interfere with brain's job of sending messages for ovulation
- Ovary
- Are there enough eggs?
- Is it receiving messages for ovulation?
- Can eggs develop?
- Can the egg be released?
- Tubes
- Are they open and healthy?
- Is there past infection, endometriosis?
- Smoking can limit function
- Uterus
- Is it a healthy environment?
- Cervix
- Is it opened and not scarred from a past procedure?
Male fertility concerns:
- Brain to Testes
- Thyroid issues can interfere
- Testes
- Are they making sperm? Common issues include steroid use for body building/weight lifting, alcohol, brief underwear too tight, hot tub or other sources of heat, history of prior trauma
- Sperm
- Is sperm healthy with numbers and swimming in the right direction? This can be impacted by health, current smoking, and other factors
Takeaway tip: If you want to grow your family and are not getting pregnant, seek help on why and your options from your PCP and then an OB/GYN or if male, a urologist. The next step is a Fertility Specialist. Today, much can be done and more insurance companies cover the treatment.
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