Female infertility

The most common causes of infertility in women are:

  • The woman's age and egg quality
  • Damaged fallopian tubes (tubal) (20%). It can be caused by previous gynecological infections (including Chlamydia) or pregnancy outside the womb (ectopic pregnancy).
  • Menstrual irregularities (20-30%). It is often a sign of disturbances in ovulation and can be caused by polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), metabolic diseases, premature menopause, low BMI or overtraining. Irregular vaginal bleeding can be caused by small polyps or fibroids in the uterus, making it difficult for the fertilized egg to implant.
  • Endometriosis (5%)
  • Lifestyle Factors

Book a consultation

If you have been trying to achieve a pregnancy for more than one year (or less if you are over 37 years of age) without success, we recommend you book a consultation.

FAQs

Should the fallopian tubes removed if they are damaged?

In some cases, it may be a good idea. If the fallopian tubes are distended by fluid, it can double the possibility of achieving pregnancy if the fallopian tubes are removed before IVF treatment. The fallopian tubes can be removed by surgery (laparoscopy). Fallopian tubes that are not distended by liquid does not need to be removed.

What if a woman is sterilized and now wants child?

Sterilization of a woman is carried out by blocking the passage through the fallopian tubes. This can be done by having been put small metal clip on the fallopian tubes or by removing a small portion of the tubes. There are two options for treatment:

  • The most effective method is in vitro fertilization (IVF)
  • The second treatment option is to try to re-establish the passage through tubes by an operation. In general, the chance of getting pregnant after this procedure is very low.

Should women take folic acid?

Yes. Taking folic acid before you get pregnant and until the pregnancy is 12 weeks pregnant will reduce the risk of having a the child with malformations of the brain and spinal cord. Health Protection Agency (www.sst.dk) recommends a daily intake of folic acid of 0.4 mg per day. If the woman in a previous pregnancy had a child with a neural tube defect, or if she or her husband are born with neural tube defects the recommended daily dose is 5 mg.

If the woman can not produce eggs, can we use the eggs from one of our female friends who wants to help?

Yes. The law on egg donation is changed from October in 2012 and it is now allowed to use "your own donor." Read more.

What is PCOS?

PCOS is an abbreviation of polycystic ovarian syndrome. This means there are many small eggs bladders ("cysts") in the ovaries (ovaries). It can be seen by ultrasound. Follicles do not develop or only very slowly into mature eggs, and therefore the woman often has a very long menstrual cycle by up to several months between periods. At the same time, there is often a shift in hormonal balance, so there are too many male hormones. It can lead to excessive hairiness, especially in the face, genitals, the breasts, arms, etc. 

What is endometriosis?

Endometriosis is a condition in which the uterine mucosa tissue grows in different parts of the abdominal cavity. It is a "benign" disease, but can be very annoying. There may be endometriosis of the peritoneum, in the ovaries and in rare cases also elsewhere, for example in the intestine and bladder. In the ovaries endometriosis often shows as "chocolate cysts", which have a rather distinctive look by ultrasound.

Endometriosis often shows as pain before and during menstruation. Endometriosis can also make it difficult to get pregnant. If there are large endometriosis cysts in the ovaries, we recommend to get them surgically removed before any fertility treatment.
Read more about endometriosis.