Another common cause of infertility is PCOS or polycystic ovary syndrome. This condition is prevalent in women who are of childbearing age or in about 1 in 10 women. Diagnosis of PCOS is easy and the chances of females with PCOS getting pregnant is highly unlikely.
What is PCOS?
PCOS or polycystic ovary syndrome manifests when the body develops endocrine system abnormalities or develops imbalances in the levels of hormones in the body such as estrogen, progesterone, androgens and insulin. In polycystic ovary syndrome, as small cysts form in the ovaries, the sizes of the ovaries become bigger although the size of the eggs remain the same. So, eggs in that ovary cannot grow more than other eggs and this causes irregular secretion of hormones which results in problems of irregular menstruation or problems of infertility.
Can a female with PCOS get pregnant?
Polycystic ovary syndrome of PCOS is a collection of a range of diseases. PCOS can be detected or diagnosed from irregular menstruation. If on ultrasound many cysts or eggs are detected, this may point towards problems with insulin resistance. This may also change the shape of the body because of excessive testosterone secretions which may result in oily skin, acne, hirsutism, or belly fat. In a female with PCOS, it is the presence of various symptoms that plays a role in reducing her chances of getting pregnant.
Get to know PCOS and pregnancy
Females who have PCOS face difficulty determining ovulation dates and it becomes impossible for them to determine an opportune time for intercourse, which in turn lowers the chances of pregnancy.
• Females with PCOS and regular menstruation cycle: In this group of females, it is more accurate to count ovulation days with ultrasound rather than counting ovulation days manually. Also, females in this group can use intrauterine insemination or IUI to help increase their chances of getting pregnant.
• Females with PCOS and irregular menstruation cycle: Females in this group usually have high testosterone levels and/or insulin resistance. These females can be treated by stimulating the eggs to ovulate and counting the days of ovulation. Stimulation of eggs may be achieved by taking oral or injectable medication which may elicit the desired response. Insemination of egg with intrauterine insemination or IUI is usually more successful in this group of females. In this method of treatment, stimulation of eggs requires only 1 to 3 mature eggs. If too many eggs are stimulated, it may lower the rate of pregnancy and may increase the chances of miscarriage.
For females experiencing PCOS, it is advisable to not to be complacent in their treatment as it may result in chronic infertility. In cases where the pregnancy was successful, if PCOS is not immediately treated, it may heighten the likelihood of miscarriage in the first 3 months of pregnancy. So, it is necessary to consult a medical professional to balance your body hormones and to find the best treatment for PCOS.
Written by
Dr.Sirisuk Ouitrakul