Understanding the Menstrual Cycle
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)
Asian Patients Have Lower Rates Of Pregnancy And Live Birth Than Caucasian Patients
Endometriosis
A third area of interest associated with infertility is endometriosis. Approximately eight percent of the female population has endometriosis, but up to 20 percent or more of infertile women have endometriosis. Endometriosis is tissue, just like the endometrial lining of the cavity of the uterus, except it is located outside of the uterus. It can be present on the ovaries, tubes, uterus, bladder or bowel. It behaves just like endometrial tissue, so it grows in the beginning of the cycle and bleeds just as if you were having a period. Blood is very irritating to the abdominal cavity and it is thought that this irritation causes an inflammatory response with the formation of scar tissue and adhesions. This can cause kinking of the tubes, blockage of the tubes, and formation of endometriomas, which are basically big blood blisters of growing and bleeding endometrium. It is also thought that endometriosis forms toxic factors and cytokines that are detrimental to the developing egg and embryo.