Reproductive Endocrinology
Reproductive endocrinology involves hormones and control mechanism which regulates sexual development, sexual function and reproduction. Disorders of these hormones can lead to symptoms like infertility, hirsutism, virilization, oligomenorrhea and amenorrhea. These symptoms occur due to abnormal changes in the hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal axis.
Symptoms of disorders of reproductive endocrinology:
- Irregular, absent, or painful menstrual periods
- One or more miscarriages
- Treatments that may affect your fertility
- Endometriosis
- Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
Diagnosis for disorders of reproductive endocrinology:
Reproductive endocrinologists may use surgery, medicine, or procedures to treat infertility. Before they come up with a treatment plan, they must find the source of the problem. To do this, they might:
- Check for blood sugar and thyroid abnormalities
- Run a semen test
- Order an X-ray of the uterus and fallopian tubes to look for problems
- Do an ovarian reserve fertility test to measure the level of various hormones related to reproduction, such as Follicle stimulating hormone, Estradiol and Anti-Müllerian hormone
Based on the results of these tests, medicines or the below procedures are recommended:
- Laparoscopy, a minimally invasive surgery that uses a tiny camera to let your doctor see inside your body
- Hysteroscopy, a procedure using a small camera that lets the doctor see images of your cervix and uterus
- Abdominal myomectomy, surgery to remove uterine fibroids
Fertility Treatments
- Intrauterine insemination (IUI): Purifying one partner’s sperm sample and pacing it into the other’s uterus.
- In vitro fertilization (IVF): Fertilizing one partner’s egg with the other’s sperm in a laboratory then transferring the best embryo(s) to the mother or surrogate’s uterus.
Reproductive endocrinologists are an excellent resource to help you better understand your fertility journey and to provide medical interventions for pregnancy when appropriate.
