Infertility Issues in the Teen Years, Not Just for Girls

As I wrote earlier this year, we're starting to see more awareness of the need for even teens to consider how their current health can impact future fertility. Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) generally begins in very young women, although most women don't even learn about the hormonal condition until they have problems trying to get pregnant. Now, just as research is showing us that men's lifestyle choices – including diet and exercise – can make a difference in their fertility, we're also learning that teen boys' health might foretell whether they'll have obstacles in becoming fathers later.

A study published in Clinical Endocrinology produced mildly alarming results – a 50 percent reduction in testosterone in teen boys who are obese. According to this related article on the SUNY website, such findings point to an increasing risk of impotency and infertility later in life.

Granted, the sample size is small, so the researchers advise that more studies are needed with greater numbers of subjects to confirm this study's findings. And the research group plans to next look at weight loss and any resulting (hopefully positive) changes in obese teens. But there is already a wealth of strong data pointing a strong connection between obesity and negative reproductive consequences, and now, that data appears to hold up across the lifespan for both genders.

~ Dr. Sonja Kristiansen M.D.

Before Infertility Strikes, PCOS Is Common, Treatable, Even for Teens & Young Women

A little bit of facial hair in “the wrong places” can be normal, even if aggravating, for women near and after menopause. But for younger women, hirsutism (hair growth in abnormal patterns) can signal something to be worried about – polycystic ovarian syndrome.

image: freedigitalphotos.net

PCOS is one of the most commonly-presented female disorders in a fertility clinic. Not every woman with polycystic ovarian syndrome has infertility, but many do. In fact, not all PCOS sufferers have the same symptoms, which in addition to hirsutism might include:

• small cysts on the ovaries

• irregular menstrual periods

• weight gain for no apparent reason

• acne beyond the teen years

This article in UK's Daily Mail says that one in 10 British women are affected by PCOS. A fact sheet from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office on Women's Health says similar numbers of affected women are found in the U.S., as many as 5 million of them, and that it can occur in girls as young as 11 years old.

This is a point I want to impress: PCOS is a hormonal condition, not merely a nuisance of facial hair and weight gain, and it begins in most cases during puberty. Unfortunately, most woman don't become knowledgeable about PCOS until it's created a problem for them – most of the time, that problem is infertility.

Most important to know is that infertility is not the only problem to which PCOS can lead. It's also been linked to a number of very serious metabolic disease-related health conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and cardiovascular disease. So treating PCOS is something that should be initiated as soon as it's discovered, and not just for fertility-related reasons.

How can teens and young women know if PCOS is a worry for them?

• Develop an ongoing relationship with either a family practitioner or OB/Gyn.

• Keep close track of your menstrual periods and report on them to your physician annually. If you notice something different (for your body) happening – such as longer or shorter times between periods, more pain than usual, or periods that are heavier or lighter than usual – let your doctor know that you are concerned.

• If you have “male-pattern hair growth,” let your doctor know.

• If you notice extreme weight loss or gain within a brief period of time that cannot be explained by changes in your activity level or eating habits, tell your doctor.

There's more good information about PCOS specifically for young women on this website by the Center for Young Women's Health.

Finally, as a reproductive endocrinologist, I have a great deal of expertise and experience in treating hormonal conditions related to the reproductive system -- and PCOS-related infertility is indeed successfully treatable. If PCOS is your issue, the Houston Fertility Center can help.

~ Dr. Sonja Kristiansen M.D.