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Fertility Problems in Families

Hereditary Health Issues That Impact Conception

By Teri Brown

When a couple discovers they have fertility issues, their first question is often "Why us?" Sometimes the issues are random. Other times the couple has to look no further than their own family history.

Kerrie Spencer from Saskatchewan, Canada, knew where her fertility issues came from – her mother. "Mom had endometriosis so bad the only way she could heal was to get pregnant," Spencer says. "She had severe pain, heavy clotting, bloating, total agony and getting pregnant at that time was the only method doctors had to try and help her. However, despite knowing she had endo, Mom never told me I might have it or took me to a doctor until I was going on 18 years old."

Spencer's endometriosis was so bad that it took her a long time to get pregnant, but the complications prevented a healthy pregnancy. "I actually did succeed in getting pregnant once, but had so many serious complications due to the severe scarring, the doctors did an abortion as the fetus was deformed," she says. "After that procedure I was told I would never have children and to not even think about trying it."

There are a number of common fertility issues that can be passed on from one generation to the other. Dr. Naveed Khan is a fertility specialist at Shady Grove Fertility Reproductive Science Center in Leesburg, Va. He says some infertility conditions can be inherited. "There are a number of heritable conditions that can affect fertility," he says. "One common one is the presence of fibroids. Fibroids are benign tumors of the uterine muscles that are found very commonly in women in general. They can affect fertility if they grow within the uterine cavity, changing the space where the embryo would attach or grow, and can result in pregnancy loss. There are some other rare genetic conditions that can affect the proper development of the female reproductive tract."

Want to see more?

• Uterine Factors: How Abnormalities of the Uterus Contribute to Infertility
• When Life Is a Pain: The Facts on Endometriosis
• Little Cup-'o'-Phobia: Overcoming Fear of Sperm Count
• Check out our Article Library.
• Talk about it!