Plan B is a brand of levonorgestrel “morning-after” pill that can be taken anywhere up to five days after unprotected sex. This morning-after pill can reduce a woman’s chance of pregnancy by 75% to 89%. It’s most effective when it’s taken immediately after unprotected sex occurs and is generally recommended to be taken within 3 days after unprotected sex. Waiting extended periods of time after sex to take the morning-after pill reduces its efficacy. It’s important to note that Plan B might not work for women who weigh over 165 pounds. Plan B and other levonorgestrel pills are considered emergency contraceptives that prevent pregnancy by delaying ovulation. 

Some people believe that taking Plan B can lead to infertility or impair a woman’s fertility. Is this actually true? You can find out if Plan B affects fertility in women by reading the information below.

Is it true that taking Plan B can eventually lead to infertility?

The idea that Plan B will affect your fertility or somehow make you less fertile is a myth. Taking Plan B after unprotected sex will not make you less fertile and will not affect any future pregnancy attempts. Morning-after pills contain the same synthetic hormone that’s in birth control, just in a higher dose. It’s designed to slow or prevent ovulation before it happens and does not work after someone has ovulated. Many people believe that Plan B works by affecting fertilization or implantation, which research suggests isn’t true. Simply put, Plan B doesn’t affect your fertility. It just temporarily slows or stops ovulation so that your body can’t release an egg that could become fertilized.

Some of the most common symptoms women experience following an emergency contraceptive pill include the following:

• Nausea.
• Tender breasts.
• Cramps.
• Headaches.

These symptoms are relatively typical to experience and don’t indicate any long-term effects on fertility.

It is worth noting, however, that some women who take the Plan B morning-after pill may experience abnormal period symptoms for their first period after the pill. They may notice their periods arrive earlier or later than expected. They may also experience a heavier or lighter flow than normal. This isn’t the case for all women, though. You can typically expect your period to return to your normal after the first one occurs. 

Frequent use of morning-after pills is more likely to interrupt your regular menstrual cycles, which is why it should only be used as an emergency contraceptive. If you’d prefer to be sexually active without becoming pregnant, it’s generally recommended that you use forms of birth control like an IUD, patch, daily birth control pill, ring, condoms, or the shot. 

What are some of the primary causes of infertility?

If you’re someone who struggles with infertility or you think you may be infertile, you should consult with an infertility specialist who can help you. Infertility specialists are highly educated on the several causes of infertility and the best types of treatments for them. You can read through some of the most common causes of infertility listed below.

• Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).
• Thyroid disease.
• Endometriosis.
• Unexplained infertility.

Have you been diagnosed with any of these conditions? Do you worry about your ability to get pregnant in the future? Take a look at our reproductive health index and schedule a virtual consultation with one of our fertility specialists. Our fertility professionals can help guide you toward increased chances of conceiving through compassionate and thorough care.

Why should you trust Fertility Cloud to answer your questions on fertility?

At Fertility Cloud, we value shared experiences. We want to help you navigate your struggles and celebrate your victories. Our team of experienced medical providers is dedicated to providing you with compassionate and professional care. Through every step of the way, we’ll do our very best to ensure your comfort and guide you through the fertility process.

At Fertility Cloud, everything is done remotely, from your communication with your doctor to your fertility tests. Appointments are conducted virtually, via live videoconferencing. All that’s required of you is either a computer, smartphone or tablet to join the call. 

We understand that finding convenient, high-quality medical care can be a challenge. That’s why we’ve selected some of the best reproductive endocrinology specialists out there to provide you with easily accessible digital services. Each one of our doctors is board-certified and state licensed.

If you’re looking for more information on virtual infertility doctors and treatment, don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We’ll do our best to help you. If you have any other questions about emergency contraceptives and other forms of birth control, we can answer those too. It’s what we do.
Contact our team by phone today for more information or book an initial appointment online with a fertility specialist.

When a person or couple is diagnosed with infertility, it’s easy for them to feel defeated or want to give up hope. But it’s important to remember that infertility doesn’t mean that conception is a lost cause. There are a variety of infertility treatments that you can explore to assist you in your fertility journey and boost your chances of becoming pregnant. 

Once you start to learn about the different infertility treatments, it can feel overwhelming, especially when you’re unsure about which choice will work best. But that’s what we’re here for.

Read on to learn about the basics of infertility and the various infertility treatments that are available. By the end, you’ll have a better sense about the efficacy of each treatment so that you’re able to make the best choice.

What does it mean to be infertile?

A doctor will diagnose a couple or individual with infertility if they have been unable to conceive after one year of having sexual intercourse without a form of birth control. If the female is 35 or older, then they can be determined as infertile after six months. Infertility affects millions of men and women around the world. In fact, about 1 in 6 people are unable to conceive a child after one year, which adds up to about 17.5% of the adult population.

The likelihood of infertility is almost exactly the same for women and men, with about 9% of men and 11% of women struggling with fertility problems in the United States.

While the inability to conceive is the main symptom of infertility, it can also manifest through other signs. Potential symptoms of infertility in females include:

• Absent or irregular menstrual periods.
• Painful periods.
• Weight gain without cause.

Infertility in males can cause symptoms such as:

• Changes in sexual desire.
• Erectile dysfunction.
• Pain, swelling or lumps in testicles.

4 infertility treatments and their efficacy

Even though infertility makes your journey to conception difficult, that doesn’t mean you should lose all hope. The good news is that there are plenty of treatments that doctors use to push past the barriers of infertility. But it’s important to determine which treatment will have the greatest chance of success.

There isn’t a guarantee of a successful pregnancy for any treatment. As you’ll be able to see from some of the options, the efficacy rate tends to increase when different treatments are combined. Your fertility specialist will determine which treatment is best for you based on your symptoms and medical history.

Here are four infertility treatments: 

1. Ovarian stimulation (OS) — The first step in many fertility treatments is the prescription of medication to help stimulate ovulation. Your fertility specialist will typically recommend oral tablets of clomiphene citrate or letrozole to increase the number of ovulated eggs from the fallopian tube. Both types of prescriptions have similar efficacy. Pregnancy that’s caused by OS will likely occur in the first three months.

2. Intrauterine insemination (IUI)— This procedure involves sperm being directly implanted into the uterus. The goal is to increase the number of healthy sperm cells that could possibly fertilize an egg in the fallopian tubes. When OS and IUI are combined, they have an efficacy rate of up to 20%.

3. Trigger shot — In addition to an IUI and OS, your fertility specialist may recommend an injection of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG), which is a hormone that assists in the release of multiple mature eggs that are waiting in your ovaries. To get the best timing, the trigger shot is administered during an ultrasound. A study showed that when an IUI is done in conjunction with an HCG shot, the success rate of pregnancy is about 18.2%.

4. In vitro fertilization (IVF) — IVF is used as a treatment option for unexplained infertility when the other options haven’t been effective. IVF involves removing eggs from the ovaries to be fertilized by sperm in a lab. The efficacy of this treatment decreases as the female ages. The success rate is also dependent on how many eggs are retrieved. For example, a woman under 35 with 10 retrieved eggs has a success rate of more than 40%.

Fertility Cloud can help you determine the infertility treatments that will have the best efficacy

Being unable to conceive can take a toll on your mental and emotional health, and the uncertainty that comes from infertility treatments can add another layer of stress. But we’re here to help you determine the best infertility treatment for you to provide the highest efficacy rate.
If you’re ready to start exploring infertility treatments, contact our team by phone today for more information or book an initial appointment online with a fertility specialist.

If you’re sexually active and don’t want to conceive a baby, then it’s important to explore your birth control options. But while birth control is used by females who don’t want to have a child at this time, there may come a point in their life when they do. Is your fertility affected after you no longer use birth control? 

It’s common for females who have been on birth control for a while to decide that now they’re ready to start a family, but they worry that birth control has affected their fertility due to long-term use. 

The good news is that birth control doesn’t cause infertility. But it’s important to learn about the long-term effects that it may have on your body.

Read on to learn about the different types of birth control available and the effects that they can have on your body, including your fertility.

The basics (and types) of birth control

Birth control refers to preventive measures used to reduce the chance of conception during sexual intercourse. It comes in more than a dozen different forms that include medication, surgery and devices. Each one has its pros and cons, and none of them are 100% effective, so talk to your doctor about which is the best option for you. 

Here are five of the most common forms of birth control:

• Oral contraceptives — Birth control pills are the most widely prescribed contraception in the U.S. and are taken by approximately one-fourth of females in the country between the ages of 15 and 44. The pills contain two hormones, estrogen and progestin, that help prevent pregnancy. 

• Condoms — Male and female condoms are a type of barrier contraception that is used to protect the user from pregnancy as well as sexually transmitted diseases and infections. The rubber barrier keeps the semen from entering the vagina during ejaculation. When used consistently and correctly, male condoms are 98% effective in preventing pregnancy, while female condoms are 95% effective.

• IUD — An intrauterine device, or IUD, is a form of birth control that is inserted into the uterus. It’s a piece of plastic that’s shaped like a “T” and can prevent pregnancy for up to 12 years, depending on the type. Despite its longevity, it’s reversible and can be removed. IUDs are one of the most effective forms of birth control, with a typical use failure rate of less than 1%.

• Implant — A birth control implant is another contraceptive device that’s inserted into the body, but an implant goes into the arm as opposed to the uterus as the IUD does. It’s a small rod that’s put under the skin of the upper arm. It releases progestin into the bloodstream to reduce the chance of pregnancy.

• Injection — A contraceptive injection is administered by a health care provider every three months to reduce the chance of pregnancy. The shot injects progestin directly into the bloodstream. When it’s administered consistently, a contraceptive injection can be up to 99% effective in preventing pregnancy.

How is your body affected after you stop taking birth control?

While it’s great to know that birth control doesn’t cause infertility, it’s important to learn how contraceptives can affect your body, especially after you stop using them. 

With so many different types of birth control options to choose from, the effects can impact every user differently. The amount of time that the birth control was used can also have an impact on how you’ll feel after you’re no longer on it.

It’s not uncommon for people to get pregnant quickly after getting off birth control. If you conceive immediately afterward, there isn’t an increased risk of a miscarriage or of your baby having a birth defect, because the hormones don’t stay in your system.

When you stop your birth control, whether that be no longer taking the pills or removing the device, your body will take a while to adjust. During this adjustment period, you may experience side effects including:

• Irregular menstruation.
• Acne.
• Weight changes.
• Cramps.

Fertility Cloud can help with your fertility after birth control

Many people are on birth control for years before deciding that they want to start trying to conceive. The body can get used to the hormones provided by the contraception that it can take a while to rebalance itself. If your fertility has been impacted by long-term usage of birth control, we’re here to help.
If you’re ready to start your fertility journey, contact our team by phone today for more information or book an initial appointment online with a fertility specialist.

Sometimes the timing or circumstances just aren’t right for a pregnancy or having a child. Getting an abortion is a difficult decision to make, and it can take a toll on your mental, emotional and physical health. But what if the timing is right for you later on in life?

Some people believe that having an abortion will have a negative impact on your fertility, making it difficult for you to conceive in the future. The good news is that abortion doesn’t cause infertility. But how can it affect your body’s ability to have a child in the future? That’s what we’re here to discuss.

Read on to learn the basics of abortion as well as how it affects fertility.

What is an abortion? 

An abortion means that a pregnancy is terminated by removing the fetus or embryo. There are two types of abortion: medical and surgical. A medical abortion involves being prescribed medication to take at home that will terminate the pregnancy. A surgical abortion is a medical procedure that removes the fetus or embryo as well as the pregnancy tissue and the placenta from the uterus.   

More than 70 million induced abortions take place around the world every year. About 6 out of 10 of people who have an unintended pregnancy have an induced abortion.

The risks of abortion are relatively low, though there’s an increased possibility of complications the further the abortion is done into a pregnancy. 

Potential complications of abortion include:

• Bleeding.
• Infection.
• Damage to surrounding organs (bladder, uterus).

A medical abortion also has a risk of tissue remaining inside the uterus.

How abortion affects fertility

Despite what some may believe, abortion does not lead to infertility. The chance of having issues with future pregnancies or fertility that stem from abortion is very small. There has been some research that shows abortion may slightly increase the risk of having an early birth in the future. 

While abortion doesn’t directly cause infertility, it’s possible that it can result in a womb infection called pelvic inflammatory disease. 

Pelvic inflammatory disease, or PID, is an infection of one or more female reproductive organs, including the ovaries, fallopian tubes and uterus. If it goes untreated, PID can cause scar tissue and abscesses in the reproductive tract, which interfere with an egg’s fertilization. Infertility affects 1 in 10 females with PID.

Potential causes of infertility

Infertility is common around the globe, affecting about 186 million people and 48 million couples worldwide. It can stem from either partner or a combination of factors between the two, as it affects males and females equally. 

Infertility is diagnosable when you’re unable to conceive after having unprotected sex for more than one year. A female over the age of 35 can be diagnosed after six months of unprotected sex that doesn’t lead to conception.

Even though abortion doesn’t result in infertility, there are still a few other causes that can. If you’re struggling with infertility, there are a variety of potential reasons that could explain it. 

One of the most common causes of infertility in females is ovulation disorders. There are multiple hormonal disorders that can interfere with the ovaries releasing eggs. A common medical issue that can lead to infertility includes polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) as well as thyroid issues, such as hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism.

Endometriosis is another potential cause of infertility in females, which occurs when there is uterine lining growing in the ovaries and fallopian tubes. The tissue that grows inside of your uterus is called the endometrium, and this condition causes endometrium-like tissue to grow outside of the uterus. The tissue, referred to as endometrial implants, can interfere with egg fertilization.

When it comes to male infertility, it’s usually caused by an issue with the sperm. If the sperm isn’t properly functioning or being produced correctly, it can make it difficult to conceive. The quality of sperm can be affected by conditions like undescended testicles, genetic defects or diabetes.

It’s important to remember that 30% of couples are diagnosed with unexplained infertility.

Fertility Cloud can help with infertility that stems from any cause

Even though it’s comforting to learn that having an abortion doesn’t cause infertility, you may still be searching for answers about the reason you’ve been having trouble conceiving. We’re here to not only help you determine the likely cause of your infertility, but also help you find the treatments necessary to help increase your chance of conception.
If you’re ready to treat infertility, contact our team by phone today for more information or book an initial appointment online with a fertility specialist.

Does female masturbation cause infertility?

You may have heard someone mention to you that masturbation can cause infertility in women. Is this true? In simple terms, no, it’s not true that masturbation can cause infertility in females. That’s just a myth. Masturbation doesn’t negatively impact fertility in anyone, let alone women.

You may even be interested to know that masturbation can be good for your body, generally. To learn more about the relationship between the body, fertility and masturbation, keep reading.

Is it possible for fertility to affect masturbation? If not negatively, then positively?

Now that you know that it’s not possible for fertility to negatively affect masturbation, you may have questions about its potential to positively impact fertility. It’s worth noting that masturbation cannot positively affect fertility, either. It does not affect fertility whatsoever.

Can masturbation affect someone’s hormone levels? Can these hormone changes affect fertility?

Yes, masturbation can affect someone’s hormone levels. It releases the following hormones into the body to create a positive temporary experience in the body:

• Testosterone.
• Dopamine.
• Oxytocin.
• Prolactin.
• Endorphins.

Many of these hormones do affect the body’s fertility, for both males and females. However, the increases in these hormones after masturbating do not last long enough to have any effect on the body’s fertility.

Can masturbation affect someone’s ovulation and lead to increased or decreased fertility?

In women, ovulation occurs on its own cycle and doesn’t happen any faster or slower when masturbation occurs. In men, masturbation usually results in sperm cells being released. These sperm cells have the potential to fertilize an egg, but that usually only happens during intercourse. In summary, masturbation cannot affect someone’s ovulation and cannot lead to an increase or decrease in anyone’s fertility. 

What else should I know about female masturbation and infertility?

Regardless of what you may have heard, the idea that female masturbation can result in infertility is a total myth. However, other factors can contribute to female infertility, including age, weight, chronic health conditions and more. If you’ve been diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), thyroid disease or endometriosis, these are conditions that can affect your ability to get pregnant. To learn more about the factors that could be negatively impacting your fertility, you should speak with an infertility specialist. 

Fertility Cloud can help you improve your chances of getting pregnant

At Fertility Cloud, we value shared experiences. We want to help you navigate your struggles and celebrate your victories. Our team of experienced medical providers is dedicated to providing you with compassionate and professional care. Through every step of the way, we’ll do our very best to ensure your comfort and guide you through the fertility process.  

At Fertility Cloud, everything is done remotely, from your communication with your doctor to your fertility tests. Appointments are conducted virtually, via live videoconferencing. All that’s required of you is either a computer, smartphone or tablet to join the call. The typical appointment takes around 30 minutes. You’ll undergo an initial consultation, and subsequent treatment will be monitored for at least three months. We’re confident we can provide you with the answers you’re looking for regarding your reproductive health and fertility options.

We understand that finding convenient, high-quality medical care can be a challenge. That’s why we’ve selected some of the best reproductive endocrinology specialists out there to provide you with easily accessible digital services. Each one of our doctors is board-certified and state licensed.

Do you have more questions that haven’t been answered by the information in this article? We’re seasoned professionals who have extensive experience in all things fertility. We’re here to talk. Our team knows that infertility can be a sensitive topic to broach, and we’re committed to providing you with the utmost care and respect during every part of the process. Don’t be afraid to reach out to us for help.
Contact our team by phone today for more information or book an initial appointment online with a fertility specialist.