THRIVE FERTILITY
What is Infertility?
Infertility is defined as the failure to establish a pregnancy after a year of regular, unprotected sexual intercourse. Multiple factors can contribute to infertility on both the female and male sides(45).
Why are we studying infertility?
Infertility is Common
Treatment isn't 100% Successful
Growing need for Treatment
Infertility is estimated to affect up to one in eight couples (between 8-12%) worldwide(46). Approximately one-third of couples receive a diagnosis of female factor infertility, one-third of male factor infertility, and the remaining one-third either have both female and male factor infertility, or an unknown cause(14, 45).
Growing need for Treatment
Treatment isn't 100% Successful
Growing need for Treatment
One million babies in the United States were born between 1987 and 2015 through the use of assisted reproductive technologies (ART)(47, 48). Treatment options typically involve lifestyle changes, surgical procedures, and/or the use of hormones(49). A very common option is IVF (In vitro fertilization).
Treatment isn't 100% Successful
Treatment isn't 100% Successful
Treatment isn't 100% Successful
Sometimes it is unknown why IVF fails and the success rate on a couple-by-couple basis cannot be predicted(50). Understanding the reasons behind why IVF fails is critical to improving success rates. This would help to improve the number of embryos transferred, lower rates of multiple pregnancies, and lower pregnancy complications.
Many factors cause Infertility
Many factors cause Infertility
Treatment isn't 100% Successful
Some factors specifically affecting female fertility include premature ovarian insufficiency, polycystic ovary syndrome, endometriosis, uterine fibroids, and endometrial polyps(14). Some factors affecting male fertility can be affected by testicular deficiency, ejaculatory dysfunction or sperm delivery obstruction, and low sperm quality determined by sperm count, motility, and mobility(14).
Microbiome Involved?
Many factors cause Infertility
Still more work to be done
The microbiome is the collection of all the microorganisms and viruses that live in a given environment, such as the female(51) and male genital tracts(52). The interaction between both of the genital microbiomes has been shown to alter the health and make-up of the individual penile and vaginal microbiomes(40, 52, 53). Sexual intercourse can act as a physical mechanism to transfer bacteria from one partner’s genital environment to the other(54).
Still more work to be done
Many factors cause Infertility
Still more work to be done
Unexplained infertility is defined as where no known cause can be identified to explain the infertility(13), and can affect 15-30% of all couples trying to conceive(50). This represents a considerable gap in knowledge and treatment options. Our research goal is to study the ecology and function of the female and male genital microbiomes. To see if they drive inflammatory processes that contribute to one or both partner's infertility and subsequent IVF success.