Sharjah fertility center

Sharjah Fertility Center

Understanding Infertility

Most people will have a strong desire to conceive a child at some point during their lifetime. Most couples (approximately 85%) will achieve pregnancy within one year of trying, with the greatest likelihood of conception occurring during the earlier months. Only an additional 7% of couples will conceive in the second year. As a result, infertility has come to be defined as the inability to conceive within 12 months.

This diagnosis is therefore shared by 15% of couples attempting to conceive. We generally recommend seeking the help of a reproductive endocrinologist if conception has not occurred within 12 months. However, there are various scenarios where one may be advised to seek help earlier.

Infertility in Men

Infertility in men can be caused by different factors and is typically evaluated by a semen analysis. When a semen analysis is performed, the number of sperm (concentration), motility (movement), and morphology (shape) are assessed by a specialist. A slightly abnormal semen analysis does not mean that a man is necessarily infertile. Instead, a semen analysis helps determine if and how male factors are contributing to infertility.

male factors contributing to infertility

Disruption of Testicular or Ejaculatory Function

• Varicoceles is a condition in which the veins on a man’s testicles are large and cause them to overheat. The heat may affect the number or shape of the sperm.
• Trauma to the testes may affect sperm production and result in a lower number of sperm.
• Unhealthy habits such as heavy alcohol use, smoking, anabolic steroid use, and illicit drug use.
• Use of certain medications and supplements.
• Cancer treatment involves the use of certain types of chemotherapy, radiation, or surgery to remove one or both testicles
• Medical conditions such as diabetes, cystic fibrosis, certain types of autoimmune disorders, and certain types of infections may cause testicular failure.

Hormonal Disorders

Improper function of the hypothalamus or pituitary glands. The hypothalamus and pituitary glands in the brain produce hormones that maintain normal testicular function. Production of too much prolactin, a hormone made by the pituitary gland (often due to the presence of a benign pituitary gland tumor), or other conditions that damage or impair the function of the hypothalamus or the pituitary gland may result in low or no sperm production.

These conditions may include benign and malignant (cancerous) pituitary tumors, congenital adrenal hyperplasia, exposure to too much estrogen, exposure to too much testosterone, Cushing’s syndrome, and chronic use of medications called glucocorticoids.

Genetic Disorders

Genetic conditions such as Klinefelter’s syndrome, Y-chromosome microdeletion, myotonic dystrophy, and other, less common genetic disorders may cause no sperm to be produced, or low numbers of sperm to be produced.

Factors Increasing Risk of Infertility in Men

• Age: Although advanced age plays a much more important role in predicting female infertility, couples in which the male partner is 40 years old or older are more likely to report difficulty conceiving.
• Being overweight or obese
• Smoking
• Excessive alcohol use
• Use of marijuana
• Exposure to Testosterone: This may occur when a fertility doctor prescribes testosterone injections, implants, or topical gel for low testosterone, or when a man takes testosterone or similar medications illicitly for the purposes of increasing muscle mass.
• Exposure to radiation
• Frequent exposure of the testes to high temperatures, such as that which may occur in men confined to a wheelchair, or through frequent sauna or hot tub use
• Exposure to certain medications such as flutamide, cyproterone, bicalutamide, spironolactone, ketoconazole, or cimetidine
• Exposure to environmental toxins including exposure to pesticides, lead, cadmium, or mercury

What Tests Are Done for Men?

For male patients, the fertility doctor will ask some questions and often order tests which might include:

• Semen Analysis
• Blood tests – to check male hormone levels.
• Ultrasound –to check if a male organ is abnormal.
• Urine tests – to check for any infection.
• Biopsy – A biopsy might be done if a sperm test shows that a man has zero or a very small amount of sperm.

Infertility in Women

Women need functioning ovaries, fallopian tubes, and a uterus to get pregnant. Conditions affecting any one of these organs can contribute to female infertility. Infertility can be present from birth (congenital) or can be acquired as you age. Some of the causes may include:

• Problems with ovulation: Certain conditions, like polycystic ovarian syndrome (ovaries secrete excessive amounts of male hormone testosterone) and hyperprolactinemia (produce high amounts of prolactin, a hormone that induces the production of breast milk), can prevent your ovaries from releasing eggs.
• Damaged fallopian tubes: Fallopian tubes carry the eggs from the ovaries to the uterus. Any damage to them can affect the fertilization of the egg by the sperm. Pelvic surgeries and infections can cause the formation of scar tissue that can damage your fallopian tubes.
• Abnormalities of the cervix and uterus: Abnormal mucus production in the cervix, problems with the cervical opening, abnormal shape, and the presence of benign tumors in the uterus can all contribute to infertility.
• Premature menopause: Mostly caused by a condition known as primary ovarian insufficiency, premature menopause occurs when menstruation stops before the age of 40. The exact cause of this condition is unknown, though various treatments for cancer and abnormalities in the immune system have been known to contribute to it.
• Adhesions: Bands of scar tissue can form in the pelvis after an infection or surgery.
• Other medical conditions: Diabetes, endometriosis, thyroid disorders, and sickle cell disease or kidney diseases can affect the fertility of a woman.
• Medications: Certain medications have been known to cause temporary infertility. Stoppage of those medications can restore fertility in most of the cases.

Factors Increasing Risk of Infertility in Women

• Age: More women are waiting until their 30s and 40s to have children. In fact, about 20% of women in the United States now have their first child after age 35. About one-third of couples in which the woman is older than 35 years have fertility problems. Aging not only decreases a woman’s chances of having a baby but also increases her chances of miscarriage and of having a child with a genetic abnormality.
• Aging decreases a woman’s chances of having a baby in the following ways:
  • She has a smaller number of eggs left.
  • Her eggs are not as healthy.
  • She is more likely to have health conditions that can cause fertility problems.
  • She is more likely to have a miscarriage.
• Smoking.
• Excessive alcohol use.
• Extreme weight gain or loss.
• Excessive physical or emotional stress that results in amenorrhea (absent periods)

What Tests Are Done for Women?

For a women patient, the fertility doctor will ask questions about health and will do a full examination. 1 or more of the following tests will be required to be conducted:

• Blood tests – to check female hormone levels.
• Ultrasound – to check uterus and Ovaries.
• Ovulation tests – Different tests can be used to check if a woman is ovulating.
• Tests to check the uterus and fallopian tubes –some women have diseased uterus or might have blocked fallopian tubes from past infections or surgery.
• Biopsy – A biopsy might be done if a sperm test shows that a man has zero or a very small amount of sperm.

Infertility Evaluation

An infertility evaluation includes exams and tests in trying to find the reason behind a couple's infertility. If a cause is found, treatment may be possible. In many cases, infertility can be successfully treated even if no cause is found.

When Should a Patient Consider Having An Infertility Evaluation and Need a Referral to the Fertility Clinic?

You should consider having an infertility evaluation if any of the following apply to you:

• Women have not become pregnant after 1 year of having regular sexual intercourse without the use of birth control.
• Women are older than age 35 years and have not become pregnant after trying for 6 months without using birth control.
• Women are older than age 40 years and have not become pregnant within 6 months of trying without using birth control.
• A woman's menstrual cycle is not regular.
• A woman or her husband has a known fertility problem.
• Couples have problems in performing marital relation
• Couples have problems in completing marital relation
• Women who are diagnosed as infertility / or probable infertility by another medical professional
• Patients who might need fertility preservation before cancer treatment.

How is Infertility Treated?

Your fertility doctor will suggest a treatment suitable for your problem. Fertility drugs may be recommended to stimulate and regulate ovulation, in women who are infertile due to ovarian disorders. You could also be chosen for assisted insemination, where healthy sperm is collected, concentrated, and placed directly into your uterus when your ovary releases eggs to be fertilized.

This procedure is also known as intrauterine insemination (IUI), and can be in tandem with your normal menstrual cycle or fertility drugs. Apart from these, problems with your uterus, such as intrauterine polyps or scar tissue, can be treated with surgery. In vitro fertilization (IVF) is a type of assisted reproductive technique, which involves collecting multiple mature eggs from a woman and fertilizing them with sperm outside the body, in the lab. Once fertilized, the embryos are implanted into the uterus within three to five days.

Some of the other techniques used in IVF include intracytoplasmic sperm injection (a single healthy sperm cell is directly injected into a mature egg), assisted hatching (the outer covering of the embryo is removed to facilitate embryo implantation into the uterus), and using donor eggs or sperm. Gestational surrogates may also be considered for women for whom pregnancy poses high health risks, or for those who have a non-functional uterus.

Enhance Your Happiness With IVF

University Hospital Sharjah has taken the initiative to address fertility-related concerns of many couples and bring back happiness by having a dedicated Fertility Centre: ‘Sharjah Fertility Centre’ under its roof.

The Sharjah Fertility Centre uses the latest and most advanced technologies available to solve infertility-related problems faced by couples. This unit is supported by well-known fertility doctors and experts. A range of treatment options at affordable prices are available without any compromise on quality.

Services Offered:

• Artificial Reproductive Technology
• Reproductive Endocrinology
• Female Infertility
• In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)
• Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Infertility treatment by the best and most trusted in the UAE

A man, woman, or couple is considered infertile when unable to conceive a baby after one whole year of trying. However, it’s never too late with Sharjah Fertility Center! Infertility in men can be caused by different factors such as number of sperm (concentration), motility (movement), and morphology (shape). A semen analysis helps determine how male factors are contributing to infertility, however, a slightly abnormal semen analysis does not mean one is necessarily infertile.

In addition, Infertility in women can be caused by different factors such as age, problems with ovulation, damaged fallopian tubes, abnormalities of the cervix or uterus, and premature menopause.

Harnessing the expertise and experience of fertility specialists, the Sharjah Fertility Center at University Hospital Sharjah has helped numerous families to grow. Our capable and up-to-date team of expert doctors assists patients by analyzing their condition based on physical, environmental, and hereditary factors.

After diagnosis, we advise the most effective and suitable treatment mechanism out of surgery, medicine, procedures based on Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART), and many more. An infertility evaluation includes exams and tests to find reasons behind couples' infertility. If a cause is found, treatment is possible. Although many cases in Sharjah Fertility Centre were successfully treated with no cause found.

Our all-encompassing range of services makes us the best fertility services center in the UAE. Sharjah Fertility Centre does not stand alone when infertility evaluation is conducted, we collaborate with correlating departments to conclude a precise perspective such as Diabetes and Endocrinology; as the presence of diabetes complications significantly reduces fertility rates, Obstetrics and Gynecology Department; to increase chances of reproductive health and help with women overall health, Urology and Nephrology Departments; to analyze the patient's semen sample, perform genetic testing, test the patient's hormones and avoid kidney injury and Neonatology Pediatrics Department; to evaluate growth and development of children born after IVF treatment.

The scope of the Sharjah Fertility Centre at UHS?

Female infertility

• Tubal disorders

Tubal disorders cause blockage in fallopian tubes due to uncured STIs, complications arising out of unsafe abortions, complications post pelvic or abdominal surgery, postpartum sepsis, etc.

• Uterine disorders

Uterine disorders can cause infertility and can be congenital (a septate uterus) and benign. Bening uterine complications include fibroids, polyps, adenomyosis, endometriosis, etc.

• Ovarian disorders

Ovarian disorders like polycystic ovaries syndrome and follicular issues can cause infertility in women.

• Endocrine system disorders

A disorder in the endocrine system can destabilize the production of reproductive hormones. Issues like pituitary cancers and hypopituitarism can cause an imbalance in reproductive hormones, causing infertility.

Male infertility

• Hormonal disorders

Abnormal hormone production by the testicles, hypothalamus, and pituitary glands can deregulate sperm production, causing infertility in men. The most common cause of such hormonal imbalance is cancer in the pituitary glands or testicles.

• Clogged reproductive tract

Tracts such as seminal vehicles and ejaculatory ducts responsible for carrying semen get clogged due to injuries and infections in the genital tract. This obstruction could be responsible for infertility among men.

• Testicular failure

Varicoceles or medical procedures like chemotherapy might inhibit the ability to produce sperm in men causing infertility.

• Morphology and Motility

Abnormalities in the function or quality of sperm production can have negative implications on fertility among men.

Why choose UHS for fertility-related concerns?

The fertility clinic in Sharjah is vested with a team of the best fertility doctors in Sharjah who help patients with concerns like female and male infertility through an array of modern reproductive technologies like Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART)- IVF and ICSI. As a leading fertility diagnostic and cure center, our specialties include- High-risk pregnancy, PCOS, Endometrial Receptivity & implantation failure, immunological infertility, PGD/PGS, and more.

Our skilled doctors also cater to sensitive cases like preserving fertility among cancer patients and patients responding poorly to IVF. As the top and most trusted infertility clinic in the UAE, the main objective of UHS is to attain successful and healthy pregnancy and ultimately a healthy birth for both mother and child.

Through empathy and compassion, our experts take parents through all possibilities of a successful IVF cycle by paying heed to the factors of age, complications, and protocols. Listed below are our elaborate fertility specialty services: