Understanding Infertility

Introduction to Understanding Fertility

It is SCRC’s goal to provide you with a place where you can find out more about your infertility diagnosis, understand the difference between IVF and other infertility treatment options.

We have also compiled some of our key fertility information in the sections below including Basic Infertility Knowledge, Factors that Affect Infertility, Understanding IVF, and Understanding Egg Freezing.

If you have any questions or need information on a topic that isn’t here, give us a call. Anyone on our staff would be more than happy to help you.

PREGNANCY IS POSSIBLE
Request a Consultation with one of our Fertility Specialists Today

Frequently Asked Questions

What should I expect from my first SCRC visit?

Your 45-60 minute initial consultation can be held by teleconference or in-person at our offices, as you prefer. The physician will listen to your needs and discuss fertility treatment options. After the consultation, women will be scheduled for a simple blood test and ultrasound which provide the physician insight into your egg reserve and ovaries.

Dr. Shahin Ghadir discusses the features of our state-of-the-art lab, what to expect in your initial consultation and visit to SCRC, and the steps leading up to egg retrieval in this webinar:

How many people experience infertility?

One in eight couples has trouble getting pregnant. It is more common today than 20 to 30 years ago, due to the age at which patients are beginning their fertility journey. Your age is a dominant factor in your ability to conceive.

Females are born with all the eggs they will ever have in their lifetime. A woman’s eggs decrease in number and quality until a woman stops ovulating and reaches menopause. Although some women may have a genetically higher number of eggs, most women start to see a diminishing egg supply in their early to mid-30s. For most women, the decrease of egg supply becomes very significant by the age of 36 or 37. Due to the decline in egg supply and fertility, some women elect to freeze their eggs in the hopes of experiencing a live birth later in life.

How is infertility defined?

Infertility in women under age 35 is defined as 12 months of unprotected intercourse without pregnancy success and if you are over 35 it is reduced to 6 months, advises SCRC fertility specialist Dr. Wendy Chang. This is why it is important to do testing and to have a plan as early as possible. Women can also experience infertility when they have certain conditions such as PCOS or cancer.

See Dr. Chang present ‘What are your fertility options?’ beginning at 15:50 mark which includes fertility treatments including IVF (in-vitro fertilization), IUI (intrauterine insemination), and egg freezing:

How does a doctor test for infertility in women and men?

To gather initial information, we will run an AMH (anti-mullerian hormone) blood test to check hormone levels and your ovarian reserve (the number of eggs in a woman’s ovaries). We also conduct an ultrasound imaging (sonogram) to check for any structural causes of infertility. In some cases, a sonohysterogram is done to see any polyps in the uterus that may or may not affect your fertility.

For males, it is recommended to conduct a semen analysis to evaluate the quality and quantity of the sperm as well as the semen, the fluid that contains them. Men tend to experience infertility when they have hormonal conditions, injuries to the groin area, or infections. Exposure to radiation, such as cancer treatments, can also cause infertility.

What technology can be utilized to improve fertility?

We’re proud to provide the latest advances in biomedical technologies, fertility treatments and pharmaceutical products – along with a unique focus on compassionate, individualized care.

We strive to make the treatment environment supportive and stress-free by helping our patients balance their physical and emotional needs. We believe in treating the people, not just the symptoms – and it’s that philosophy that lets us proudly offer the art and science of fertility treatments.

SCRC Embryologists use the EmbryoScope® as a tool for the selection of the most optimal embryos, by analyzing greater than 5,000 images for each embryo.
An analysis of five published studies including 1,637 patients, demonstrated that time-lapse monitoring was associated with a significantly higher pregnancy rate, and a higher live birth rate:

• 25% increase in pregnancy rate
• 40% increase in live birth rate

“We are one of a very few locations nationwide and the first in Southern California to have not one, but multiple EmbryoScope, in which we have over 10 years of experience with their clinical use.” – Dr. Jason Barritt, Chief Scientific Officer, Laboratory Director and Research Scientist of ART Reproductive Center

We are also proud to be one of the first fertility centers to use the ZyMо̄t chip technology which isolates the healthiest, best-performing sperm with the lowest possible DNA fragmentation to be selected for embryo creation.

In a study of over 2000 patients, the use of the ZyMо̄t chip increased positive pregnancy outcomes​ 15% versus the standard centrifugation method.

With 50% of infertility cases linked to poor sperm health, our Embryology Team uses the latest technology, such as the ZyMо̄t chip, to help make embryos into babies and couples into families.

What are your success rates?

SCRC continues to have higher pregnancy rates than the national average, per SART, the primary organization of professionals dedicated to the practice of assisted reproductive technologies. For example, our pregnancy rates are more than 1.4x higher than the national average for 38-40 year-olds.

Widely acclaimed as one of the best fertility centers for over 25 years, we are your reproductive clinic from diagnosis to delivery. Please see our success rates by patient age group.