When you have recently been diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome, also commonly referred to as PCOS, you may be overwhelmed with the various impacts that the condition can have on your life and health. One of the many ways that PCOS can affect your life is through your fertility. If you are wondering exactly what it means to have PCOS in terms of fertility and your ability to bear children, it is important to learn as much as you can about PCOS and your fertility so you can plan what you want to do now and in the future. 

PCOS Does Not Automatically Mean Infertility

Before you rush off to see an infertility doctor assuming you cannot have children without interventions, it is important to understand that having polycystic ovaries does not automatically mean that you are infertile. Many women with the condition are able to have children "naturally" without medical assistance. 

Some women with PCOS do ovulate, but likely do not do so regularly in the same way that women without the condition will. This can mean that it will likely take longer for such women to conceive when they are trying to have children. For example, a woman with PCOS could go two or three months without ovulating, then ovulate two months in a row, skipping several months after that. There is often no rhyme or reason to these ovulation cycles and while it does not mean a woman is infertile, it will extend the time it takes to get pregnant. 

PCOS Is the Most Common Cause of Female Infertility

While the fact that PCOS does not automatically mean a person is infertile is the good news, there is the downside of PCOS and fertility as well. When female infertility causes are tallied up, PCOS is at the top of the list. This means that PCOS does, in fact, make it quite difficult for many women to get pregnant naturally. 

As previously mentioned, irregular ovulation is one issue that many women with PCOS face. However, there is another, more serious hindrance to fertility that can occur when you have polycystic ovaries. That issue is known as anovulation or a complete lack of ovulation at all. Many women with PCOS simply do not ovulate at all and in order to get pregnant, ovulation must occur. 

If you have been trying to get pregnant naturally for several months or even a year, it is impossible that PCOS-related anovulation is the reason for your trouble. An infertility doctor can help with such an issue by giving you medications to help stimulate ovulation so you can get pregnant or so you can try in-vitro fertilization or other fertility treatment options to help you have a child. 

With these facts in mind, you can better understand PCOS and its impact on your fertility so you have an idea of what you may be going through in the future. For more information, contact a center such as Women's Care Inc.