Before modern medicine stepped in, childbirth in humans was a stroke of luck as well as a waiting game. But modern medicine completely flipped the script for people. Suddenly it started getting easier to conceive and have a baby. More and more women and their partners could put their hopes in their healthcare providers and hope to see good results. Humans love to nurture new lives, and they can now, thanks to contemporary research and medicine.
The journey to conceive is very exciting and filled with tons of planning for most women. The issue arises when months and months pass without a positive test. Your periods may be or turn more irregular. This is a huge stressor and gets messy emotionally because no one really prepares women on how their hormonal issues may be affecting their fertility silently.
A very common condition behind this debilitating experience is polycystic ovary syndrome, also known as PCOS.PCOS is a hormonal condition that affects millions of women around the globe. When women or other people first get to know about PCOS, all of them have a similar question, “Can PCOS cause infertility?” Let’s get into it today and talk about the popular but still lesser-known condition at length.
PCOS is the most common endocrine disorder in women. Yes, PCOS and infertility are pretty interwoven, but that doesn’t mean that women with PCOS are not able to conceive at all. They can still conceive naturally sometimes or with the help of medical assistance. We’ll get into the crux of the condition in this blog and help you understand how fertility and PCOS interact.
Understanding PCOS and its effect on fertility
Polycystic ovary syndrome, as mentioned, is one of the most common endocrine disorders among women of reproductive age. Studies have shown that it affects almost around 8-13% of women around the globe, and so many cases may even go undiagnosed because women in certain regions have less access to healthcare.
Certain countries systemically make it difficult for women of lower-income households to get access to proper healthcare. Even developed countries confuse the people in bureaucracy and complicate the process for several women. When we keep this in mind, the actual prevalence for PCOS may even ne higher for some women.
Now coming back to the condition, for queries like whether women with PCOS get pregnant or delve into PCOS pregnancy chances, it’s important to know first what goes on in the female body. PCOS causes huge disruptions in the reproductive hormones of the body, mainly hormones like insulin and testosterone. Because of these hormonal imbalances, the ovulation process gets tampered with, which is the process of ovary releasing an egg that has matured.
If regular ovulation doesn’t happen in the body, then it becomes harder for women to get pregnant since there may not be an egg available to be fertilized. This is why when a woman gets irregular periods, they should get it checked out since that could directly be related to their fertility.
Women who have PCOS may ovulate or may not due to increased ovarian dysfunction. A study published in the Human Reproduction Update journal found that 80% of cases of anovulation, which is when the ovaries do not release an egg, could be due to PCOS, which makes it a leading cause of anovulation. So, can PCOS cause infertility? As we can see, it can be one of the leading reasons behind it.
Can weight loss improve PCOS fertility?
When women look into PCOS treatment for fertility, they may come across the role of weight loss and insulin resistance in PCOS, and yes, body weight does play a huge role in regulating reproductive hormones. Too much abdominal fat makes the problems of insulin resistance, inflammation, and hormonal imbalance worse for women with PCOS.
So, can PCOS cause infertility? Sure, but weight loss and a healthy diet are included in the natural remedies for PCOS fertility that may help out with the condition.
Even research has backed this answer. Studies have shown that women who lose even 5-10% of their body weight can get their ovulation process back on track. A study published in Fertility and Sterility found that a moderate reduction in weight improved the consistency of women’s menstrual cycles and improved spontaneous ovulation rates by a large degree.
The way in which weight loss can improve female sexual health is that it can:
- Improve the insulin sensitivity in your body
- Lower the body’s testosterone levels
- Increase the frequency of ovulation
- Improve the egg quality
- Help in reducing the risk of miscarriages
This is why before women start their fertility medication treatment, they are told to make some lifestyle modifications.
The issue that arises here is that the excess androgens can make insulin resistance worse, and because of that, a woman may have trouble losing weight. This is why weight loss alone cannot be considered a proven treatment method. The higher testosterone levels in the body can make it worse for the individual.
So, conversations around whether or can PCOS cause infertility and the role of weight loss in it require more nuance and understanding from the person and the people around.
Can women with PCOS still get pregnant?
Many women and couples keep looking into pregnancy success with PCOS, and the good news is that questions like “can PCOS cause infertility?” and “can women having PCOS still get pregnant?” are different and not exactly the same.
Yes, PCOS can affect the fertility chances in a woman and possibly reduce them, but that doesn’t mean that the woman is bound to a fate of permanent infertility.
Several women have improved their lifestyle habits and been able to conceive naturally along with regulating the condition with medications. Some have gotten the help of assisted reproductive techniques to conceive.
Even women who struggle initially often achieve healthy pregnancies later. This is why even if the answer to the question of “Can PCOS cause infertility?” is yes, it shouldn’t be considered a hopeless diagnosis that you cannot come back from.
Some women use medications like Cenforce FM that help to boost female stamina. Using medications that make them last longer can also increase the likelihood of successful pregnancies.
Other than those medications, staging an early intervention, managing one’s weight, tracking your ovulation, and customizing individual treatment plans can all contribute towards a successful pregnancy, even in women with longstanding PCOS.
Emotional and mental health
When you’re looking at questions like can PCOS cause infertility or not, you’ll come across various treatment methods, some of them we spoke about in the blog. There are some ways you can emotionally regulate yourself as well since your mental state contributes a lot to your physical health.
The emotional burden that women carry due to PCOS is often underestimated and not talked about enough. Struggling with anxious thoughts, body image concerns, and depression is very common among women with PCOS.
Constant negative pregnancy tests can also affect their relations with their partner as well as themselves. Regulating your emotional health is as important as focusing on your physical treatment. Going to support groups, therapy, mindfulness practice, and communicating openly with your partners can make a huge difference during your recovery process.
Having mental strength makes it much easier to get through these situations and stop worrying about whether or can PCOS cause infertility or not.
Final Thoughts
So, coming back to the main question, can PCOS cause infertility? Yes, it can be one of the reasons why women may face problems when trying to conceive, but that’s not the end all, be all of the conversation.
With modern medicine, several experts and researchers have come up with ways to manage and treat it with the right combination of medical care, lifestyle improvement, and hormonal support.
You should always remember that having PCOS doesn’t make you incapable of becoming a mother. With the right care and advice from your healthcare provider, you can better understand PCOS and get help in managing it.
FAQ’s
1. Can PCOS cause infertility permanently?
PCOS can interfere with the process of fertility, but that doesn’t mean a woman cannot ever get pregnant. It doesn’t permanently make someone infertile.
2. How common is it for women with PCOS to face infertility?
PCOS is one of the leading reasons behind infertility that’s related to ovulation and contributes to almost 80% of cases of anovulatory infertility occurrences worldwide.
3. Can weight loss help in dealing with PCOS-related infertility?
Absolutely, even a moderate amount of weight loss of about 5-10% can improve the number of times one may ovulate, regularize menstrual cycles, and improve the chances of successful pregnancies.
4. Does PCOS increase the risk of miscarriage?
Women who have PCOS experience insulin resistance and hormonal imbalance, and this may increase their risk of experiencing miscarriage, but with proper management, these complications can be dealt with.