Uterine Factors Associated with Fertility Impairment

Book excerpt: Infertility is a widespread condition with significant consequences on both individual and societal levels. It has a prevalence of 9-18% of the general population, a rate that is seen in similar levels in different countries and continents. While significant progress has already been made in understanding the etiologies, pathogenesis, and management of a variety of conditions that can affect both male and female infertility at various levels, infertility remains a challenging problem for physicians and society. Even in advanced centers, the success rate of infertility treatments lingers at about 60%, and we believe that with more research we can tackle the most difficult situations. Although our understanding of embryo development and selection has greatly improved, knowledge of uterine and endometrial function and dysfunction is still insufficient. We welcome basic and translational research contributions that focus on the advancement of the field of uterine and endometrial physiology and pathology, aiming to address current challenges and unsolved issues. We welcome basic and translational studies on diagnosis and potential therapeutic management of a variety of issues affecting female reproduction at the level of the uterus, such as but not limited to: • endometriosis and adenomyosis, • immunology of endometrium, • endometritis, • implantation failure, • unexplained infertility, • studies on endometrial function/dysfunction, endometrial receptivity, uterine microbiota; • studies that focus on possible implementation and advancement of personalized medicine in management of uterine disorders of reproduction.