Help! Intercourse Hurts
A healthy sex life can be an important piece of your overall wellness puzzle. When sex becomes painful, it can have a major impact on your quality of life. Here, we review some common culprits behind painful intercourse.
I Have Endometriosis, Can I Still Get Pregnant?
Let’s start with some good news about pregnancy and endometriosis: 70% of women with mild-to-moderate endometriosis get pregnant without treatment. We want to point out the words “without treatment,” which means that the remaining 30% still have a chance to get pregnant with the right treatment.
At Advanced Endometriosis Center, we specialize in helping women overcome the many unwelcome side effects that come with endometriosis. From ongoing pain to fertility issues, Dr. Ulas Bozdogan and our team have dedicated our practice to helping women surmount these challenges using the most innovative treatments available.
When it comes to building the family of your dreams when you have endometriosis, you do have options, and we take a look at these here.
Gauging the degree of endometriosis
Endometriosis is a condition in which tissue that normally lines the uterus grows outside of the uterus, such as on the ovaries and fallopian tubes. Unfortunately, this misplaced endometrial tissue can interfere with pregnancy, among other complications.
We have a system for “grading” endometriosis, and we use four categories depending on the severity. The categories are as follows:
- Stage 1: Few implants and no scar tissue
- Stage 2: More implants, but still no scar tissue
- Stage 3: A good deal of endometriosis in the abdomen and scar tissue around your ovaries and fallopian tubes
- Stage 4: Many implants, possible cysts on your ovaries, and scar tissue around your pelvic organs
While the degree to which your endometriosis is affecting and interfering with the function of your pelvic organs can differ greatly depending on the stage of the condition, we can provide treatments at every stage to optimize your fertility.
Ways to encourage pregnancy
There are several ways in which we can increase your chances of getting pregnant when you have endometriosis. To start, we first assess your endometriosis to figure out whether endometrial implants are interfering with your ability to release eggs or for eggs (and sperm) to travel through your fallopian tubes and implant in your uterus as an embryo.
Laparoscopic surgery
If we find possible endometrial “hurdles,” we can turn to laparoscopic surgery to remove the cysts, implants, and scar tissue that are potentially causing problems.
To perform this surgery, Dr. Bozdogan uses advanced robotic technology to accurately remove problematic tissue without resorting to open surgery.
This type of surgery can be effective in increasing your ability to get pregnant, and it can also relieve your other symptoms of endometriosis at the same time.
We do want to point out that endometriosis is chronic and typically lasts until you transition through menopause. If we remove implants and scar tissue, there’s a chance that these problematic tissues can redevelop down the road. That said, the removal gives you a window during which you can try to get pregnant.
Intrauterine insemination
If your eggs and the sperm are having trouble connecting in your reproductive organs, we can turn to intrauterine insemination, a procedure in which sperm is introduced directly into your uterus to facilitate insemination. This procedure assumes that your eggs are able to access your uterus.
In vitro fertilization
If your eggs are having trouble releasing and/or reaching your uterus, we may recommend in vitro fertilization. With this technique, your eggs are collected directly from your ovaries, fertilized in a laboratory, and then embryos are implanted into your uterus.
The bottom line is that your chances are very good for getting pregnant, despite your endometriosis, and we can help you find the best treatment option for your goals.
To learn more about pregnancy and endometriosis, book an appointment online or over the phone with Advanced Endometriosis Center today. We have offices in New York City and Hackensack, New Jersey.
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