Infertility and Des Exposure
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Women who were pregnant between 1938 and 1971 were commonly given diethylstilbestrol (DES) by their doctors. DES is a synthetic estrogen. Doctors used to believe that DES helped to reduce the number of miscarriages and premature births that women were experiencing. If your mother was given DES, then you may experience some infertility problems or other health complications as a result.
First, try to determine if your mother was given DES during her pregnancy with you. This may be hard to determine because it may have happened so long ago. Also, many doctors just told their patients that they were taking vitamins. The really sad part about this is that DES exposure can cause cancer and infertility in the women that took it, as well as their children. If you determine that you were exposed to DES, then you should inform your doctor or infertility specialist so that special care can be taken, especially during infertility treatment.
Being exposed to DES in utero puts women at a higher risk for pregnancy complications such as ectopic pregnancies, miscarriage or premature deliveries. This does not mean that you are incapable of becoming pregnant and carrying to term if you have been exposed to DES. Many women do become pregnant and carry to term despite their exposure. The reasons that DES has negative effects on women are not entirely clear. It is widely believed that the DES exposure affects the formation of the cervix. If this is true, then it can explain why exposed women have a higher number of miscarriages than non-exposed women.
If you suspect that you have been exposed to DES, then it is very important to work closely with your family physician or infertility specialist. Your doctor should order screenings to see if you have any of the negative health effects of DES exposure. Breast exams and mammograms should be performed regularly. Self breast exams should be performed at least monthly so that you can catch changes early. You should receive regular pelvic exams and PAP smears. Your doctor may do an extra type of PAP smear to check for clear cell adencarcinoma, believed to be caused by DES exposure.
Clear cell adencarcinoma is the type of cancer believed to be linked to DES exposure. This is a rare type of cancer that affects the vagina and cervix. Survival rates are very high for this type of cancer. The most common treatment for clear cell adencarcinoma is surgery. The surgery usually includes the removal of the uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries. Occasionally the vagina, or parts of the vagina, must also be removed. The surrounding lymph glands may also be removed. Radiation may also be used to treat the cancer.
Work closely with a caring physician or infertility specialist that understands what you could be facing. If it is determined that you were exposed to DES, then you will need special health care as well as special pregnancy monitoring in your quest to conquer infertility.
On occasion, patients of Dr. Daiter, Eric have offered their testimonials for other couples seeking quality infertility treatment. This testimonial may help you with your decision when you are choosing a reproductive endocrinologist for your infertility treatment.
Dr. Daiter, Eric was always discussing with us where we were and what our next options were. He explained all the various treatments from mildly aggressive to very aggressive and worked with us to come up with a plan that we all felt comfortable with. I always felt like he kept me very well informed so that I could make intelligent choices. He always personally called me when ever I had some tests done, as soon as he got the results and discussed them. This was usually within a day of the tests being done. That really stood out in my mind because, with all my other doctors, when I have lab work done, it takes a good week before I hear anything from them. Even then, many times their policy is to have the office staff call only when there is a problem. You can only hope that nothing was overlooked.
I spoke to other people who were going to other Infertility Specialists in the area and they said their doctors would only discuss the test results after a whole series of tests were done. The patients expressed that the doctors made them feel rushed and uncomfortable asking a lot of questions. They also expressed that the office staff was rude and abrupt with them when they called with questions. I was very fortunate – I never felt this way with Dr. Daiter, Eric or his office staff.
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Help answer the question
What are some symptoms of infertility in women?
I am wondering if there are any women who are unable to concieve. How did you find this out? I have always had irregular periods ranging from 47-90 days, currently I have not had my period for almost 6 months and I am not pregnant. My doctor said I could induce a period if I wanted to but I don't really want to go on drugs. Any advice or personal stories would be appreciated.
women infertility
18 Comments
October 14th, 2009 at 2:18 pm
i also am. they just say when you wear skinny jeans (including super skinnies) like we do, make sure you can fit two fingers in between your waist and the pants. so if you stick two fingers and they fit without having to be crammed in there than youre good. if youur fingers are overlapping or smushed, than a bigger pair of skinnies. they only cause yeast infection, dont worry i asked my doc. the same thing ur asking here. and they only cause that because theres no air flow, thats why you need the two finger rule.
October 14th, 2009 at 2:45 pm
You can get all the information & support that you might need through the forums at Ovusoft. Good luck on your journey!
October 14th, 2009 at 8:42 pm
It's not cat fur, but exposure to cat litter that harbors toxoplasmosis which can cause miscarriage and/or birth defects.
http://www.cdc.gov/toxoplasmosis/pregnant.html
October 14th, 2009 at 8:57 pm
Yes, Poly Cystic OVARY Syndrome is more common in women than men… I believe 0% of men have it for lack of ovaries. But I believe 1/10 women can have PCOS.
October 14th, 2009 at 2:08 pm
Possibly, the world’s rising tide of homosexuality may also be partly responsible for falling birth rates.*
October 14th, 2009 at 2:16 pm
Birth rates are NOT falling across the globe. Jen5en is telling a lie.
Birth rates are not falling in countries of Africa for example. In many African countries fertility rate is over 8.
October 14th, 2009 at 10:13 pm
And I don’t easily believe what you say about Dutch persecution of Moslems. The Dutch are some of the world’s most tolerant people, & they certainly must still have large families.
October 15th, 2009 at 9:10 am
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October 15th, 2009 at 7:46 pm
Honestly Smoking and stress can both be a factor if you smoke both of you should stop if your both under stress (which u probably are worrying about infertility) then try to relax!
October 15th, 2009 at 9:36 pm
wow buddy its 2009 not 1989… canada is hardly 80% white… visible minorities make up 20% of canada… look it up… moreover you should be thanking immigrants because they are keeping the economy growing and social security running… whites are getting old and now depending on immigrants… something like half a million immigrants a year… thats why canada is now 33 million in pop
October 16th, 2009 at 9:55 am
(My parents WERE white immigrants.) I don’t think the answer is more immigration. The answer lies in re-educating young Canadians about the importance of raising their own God-fearing families. And they should be encouraged to stop taking off to all those foreign exotic countries.
October 16th, 2009 at 5:07 pm
I dunno sorry. :c
October 16th, 2009 at 5:42 pm
i understand what you are saying, your grandmother says this because toxic shock syndrome is caused by some sort of bacteria that cats carry. Toxic shock syndrome is the thing that every tampon box comes with warnings about. If somehow a tampon gets this bacteria on it and then you leave it in for too long you can develop the syndrome which can then lead to infertility. Its very rare and you can eliminate your worries by either not using tampons or by simply making sure to change them every 4 or 5 hours.
October 16th, 2009 at 7:45 pm
Hi,
Infertility is defined as the inability to conceive after at least one year of intercourse while not using any contraceptive method. A normal fertile couple having regular sex and wishing to have a baby have a pregnancy rate of 50% in five months, 75% in 12 months, and 85-90% at end of 24 months.
The female partner is responsible for infertility in 40% of cases and the male in another 40%. In a few of the cases both are at fault. However, in 20% cases no cause can be found.
The causes of infertility in women
The ovaries do not produce eggs, or these may be defective.
The fallopian tubes or the tubes that transfer the egg from the ovary to the uterus may be blocked or non-functional. This may happen in cases of infections like tuberculosis, endometriosis, or previous surgery of tubes or ovaries.
The uterus and cervix normally produce a thin discharge. If this mucous is excessively thick or contains substances that kill the sperms, then this prevents sperms from swimming through it into the uterine cavity and then to the tubes.
Distorted or partially blocked uterine cavity as in fibroids.
The causes of infertility in males
Men normally produce at least 20 million sperm per ml of semen. If the sperm count is less than this it may adversely affect fertility.
Of the sperms present in the semen, 50% must be actively moving sperms for conception to occur. A lower percentage of actively moving sperms will be unable to swim through the cervix to meet the egg in the fallopian tube.
If more than 50% sperms are abnormal in shape and function, this can also lead to infertility.
If the testes do not produce sperms or these are unable to come out due to blockage of the vas deferens, the tube which carries the sperms from testis out.
Inability to perform normal intercourse due to difficulties in ejaculation, impotence or structural abnormalities of the penis.
The woman can know her time of ovulation
Ovulation is the time when the ovaries produce an egg that enters the fallopian tube. Just before ovulation, the mucous discharge from the vagina increases. In addition, there may be lower abdominal discomfort or pain for a period ranging from half an hour to 24 hours.
If one maintains a basal body temperature chart by taking a daily morning temperature, a rise in temperature by 0.5 degree centigrade around the thirteenth or fourteenth day indicates ovulation. Urine testing kits are also available which help in identifying the time of ovulation by showing a surge of a hormone which is associated with ovulation .
doctor first takes a detailed clinical history to ascertain the possible cause of infertility. If the problem lies in faulty sexual practice, this can be easily corrected. Structural abnormalities in the sex organs are looked for, and sometimes an ultrasound scan may need to be done. Blood and urine tests may be done to look for infection. A laparoscopy can also be performed for diagnosis, in which a telescope in inserted into the abdomen to visualise the internal organs including the uterus , ovaries and tubes.
The potency of the fallopian tubes is tested by performing a hysterosalpingography or HSG. In this a dye is injected into the uterus and X-rays are take which show the filling up of the tubes. No anaesthesia is required for this test and there is only minimal discomfort.
The management of infertility
This depends on the cause of infertility. Every case may need a different approach depending on the nature of the problem and the underlying defect.
Problems with ovulation: If there is a problem with ovulation, certain drugs need to be given to induce ovulation or correct it.
Fallopian tube block: This is treated surgically by a laparoscope or by an open microsurgery technique. In this the blocked segment is excluded and continuity of the patent tubes is re-established. This is a technically demanding procedure. In cases were tubes cannot be corrected by this method, or the procedure fails assisted reproductive procedures (ART) such as in-vitro fertilization (IVF) is undertaken.
Cervical Factor: If the problem lies in the cervix, this can be overcome with procedures such as intrauterine insemination (in which the semen is injected into the uterine cavity) or procedures such as IVF or GIFT (Gamete Intra-Fallopian Transfer ).
Problems in men: Minor problems will respond to medical treatment or to surgery. Intrauterine insemination can help in some of the cases. However, if the problem is not corrected by the above measures then assisted conception by IVF can be offered with considerable success. In cases with very severe sperm deficiency, until a few years ago, the treatment of couple had not been very successful. Micro-manipulation now can be offered to these couples.
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October 16th, 2009 at 8:10 pm
Birth rates are falling across the globe. The notions of these problems being exclusive features of Europe, the US, Japan and industrialized countries in general are not realistic assumptions. The Middle-East and Africa are seeing declining birth-rates as well, it’s just that they are higher than European AT THE MOMENT. When/if these countries see economic prosperity in the future, birth rates will dwindle further. Then again, we will live longer… so relax.
October 17th, 2009 at 6:31 am
Hi there,
There are a few issues that are really hard to treat for which it's highly recommended that IVF be the primary method for TTC. These include moderately low perm motility, very low sperm count, PCOS, and persistent non-ovulation. I think the most insideous reasons are stress related.
About 35 percent of all cases of infertility arise from problems in the man's system. Borderline sperm count or motility issues can be helped with herbs, vitamins, wearing boxers and having sex every other day.
About 35 percent arise from abnormalities in the woman's system.
- Not ovulating the primary cause, but not ovulating can be the result of many underlining causes which vary in their ability to be treatable. Not ovulatin can be the result of stress, irregular periods & PCOS. PCOS is the hardest to treat, the others are relatively easy to treat.
-Endometriosis and blocked fallopian tubes (or scar tissue) would be the second most common reason. You can remove the unwanted tissue for a temporary window of fertility quite easily.
-Hormonal irregularities that cause miscarriages and prevent healthy implanation. This is hard to diagnose but can be treated with hormones.
About 20 percent of the time, the man and woman both have fertility problems.
In 10 percent of cases, no cause can be found.
Hope this helps.
PS/EDIT: Even if you have not been ovulating (infertile) for some time you can easily get a "jump start" by taking a medication that will help you ovulate. (Chlomid)
October 17th, 2009 at 6:32 pm
the dutch hate muslims this is becoming quite evident that is why they are writting such laws to prohibit muslim freedoms such as building mosques… also i hate to inform you but dutch dont have large families excluding the muslim dutch…. it is quite possible that the native dutch pop will become a minority in the near future 30 years i would say
October 17th, 2009 at 10:08 pm
Whether that’s true or not, Canada is still at least 90% white. Like pjvdixon said, don’t play the race card!