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How does PCOS affect fertility

Explore expert insights to inspire, guide, and support you through every step of your parenthood journey with confidence.

UPDATED ON21 August 2024
WRITTEN BY
Team Progenesis
READING TIME10 mins
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PCOS or polycystic ovarian syndrome is a kind of disease that affects the ovaries of females. It is a type of hormonal disorder that is prevalent among women of the reproductive age group. The ovaries suffer during this condition and numerous small cysts grow inside it which may result in the irregular release of eggs and thereby irregular periods too.nnThese conditions and the hormonal imbalance might affect a female's fertility at many levels. Right from the failure to produce enough healthy egg cells to the irregular menstrual cycle, PCOS-affected women can face issues with her fertility which may lead to permanent infertility as well.nnThis cycle continues every month when the fluid-filled cysts grow on the surface of a female's ovaries. The female sex hormone estrogen then causes the follicle to grow a mature egg which later on breaks off from the follicle and hence remains unavailable for being fertilized by the sperm cells.nnThis phenomenon in a female who suffers from PCOS affect her fertility and makes her unable to bear a child. However, this condition is not always the same for every woman; sometimes they can be fertile too when the severity of PCOS is not too much! We will discuss more on this below. Keep reading...

What are the causes and symptoms of PCOS?

nThe exact cause of PCOS is not yet known but experts suggest that it might be a result of genetic inheritance. If a woman, whose mother or sister or any other woman in the family had a history of PCOS, then she might suffer from the same.nnApart from this, the presence of excess insulin on a woman's body may also increase her chances of being affected by PCOS. When a woman starts producing the male hormone testosterone, it may also lead to the condition of PCOS.

The common symptoms of PCOS include

  • Weight gain
  • Abnormal hair growth on chest, face, and back
  • Acne
  • Hair thinning
  • Irregular periods
  • Infertility
  • Acne or skin darkening
  • Depression
  • Ovarian cysts
nThese are some of the common symptoms that women with PCOS suffer from but it is not mandatory that every woman would have the same symptoms or suffer from the same conditions. And that is why it becomes very difficult to diagnose a woman with PCOS until several tests are done to find out the same!

What are the treatment options available for the PCOS affected women?

nAs such, there are no basic treatment options available for the PCOS-affected women but in case there is a reproductive health-related issue, the fertility treatment can be observed by the infertility experts. But with certain medications and changes in some lifestyle habits, the symptoms can be managed well with time.nnYou can also take birth control pills to substitute for the hormonal imbalance occurring inside your body, you can take insulin-sensitizing medicines to help control its production so that the testosterone levels are tackled, you can check on what you eat and do other stuff to control the symptoms of PCOS.

How can females suffering from PCOS become the mother of their child?

 Several IVF treatment options are available these days which ensure that females with infertility issues can also bear a child or become a mother of a child whom she can call her own!nnIf the ovaries of the affected female cannot produce healthy egg cells then the help of a female egg donor may be needed to carry on the IVF treatment and if the affected female cannot carry the baby inside her womb then a surrogate mother can be hired for lending her womb to the lady.nnThus, there is nothing to lose hope when you find out that you have PCOS, as a way to have a child through artificial methods is always there to help you!

The final take

nAlthough the various IVF Treatment options available today in front of infertile couples have brought a new meaning to their lives suffering from infertility has its own pain and agony associated with it.nnSometimes, when a female suffers from PCOS, it is not only that they face difficulties in their reproductive health, but they also face other health disorders that make life difficult for them.nnLike the weight gain issues, the regular period cramps, pain in the abdomen and other such factors make it very hard for the women to bear throughout their lifetime as there is no permanent cure to this condition yet.nnThe medications and other solutions provided by the doctors help in controlling the condition of PCOS-suffering women and help them lead a life minus the pain and suffering. So, if you find out you are having any such symptoms of PCOS or having a problem getting pregnant, you must consult your gynaecologist soon!

~ Verified by Progenesis Fertility Center's Expert Doctors

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