INFERTILITY

What is categorised as infertility?

Couples who have been trying to conceive for the duration of a year may be struggling with a fertility issue and should see a specialist. Despite having sex frequently without contraception, some couples may have more trouble falling pregnant than others. Infertility is tricky to pinpoint as it may be caused by fertility issues of the female, male or a combination of both. Menstrual conditions and gynaecological disorders may have complications may affect a woman’s ability to conceive a child. Dr Makhubo has a special interest and empathy for women struggling to conceive and uses her expertise to diagnose and treat conditions causing infertility to enable deserving couples to conceive.

What is the aim of these visits?

The goal of infertility counselling with the expertise of Dr Makhubo is to find the cause of these problems. To do this, she may ask questions related to genetics, family history and your medical and gynaecological history in order to get an understanding of your general health and what may be affecting your ability to fall pregnant. She may be able to suggest a number of strategies including ensuring optimum health and weight, quitting smoking, avoiding alcohol and limiting caffeine may increase the chances of becoming pregnant.

What will happen during infertility consultations?

Depending on the information that Dr Makhubo was able to gather during your consultation, she may require further diagnostic tests to decipher the cause of the fertility issues you are facing. These tests may include:

• A blood test may be taken to test the level of progesterone of the eggs during ovulation. Women over the age of 35 will also tested in terms of the amount of eggs that remain.
• A semen test of your partner may be done to test the concentration, volume, form and number of sperm present in the sample.
• The compatibility of you and your partner will be biologically tested to diagnose any abnormalities of the egg or semen sample. In addition, your fallopian tubes and uterine cavity will be X-rayed to evaluate whether or not the functioning of the uterus is normal.

In some cases, surgical evaluation may be needed to accurately diagnose the cause, in which case Dr Makhubo may refer you to a specialist surgeon.