Can You Get Pregnant If Your Fallopian Tubes Are Blocked?

Fertilization takes place when sperm and egg meet in the woman's reproductive tract. Fertilization takes place within the fallopian tube, which leads to the uterus where the fertilized egg implants and the woman becomes pregnant. There are many women whose fallopian tubes are blocked or scarred in some manner which can reduce the chance of pregnancy.

Significance

• The fallopian tube is a tube down which a woman's egg travels each month. Eggs are released from the ovary and are swept into the fallopian tube. If no sperm are present, the egg will simply continue down the tube into the uterus where it will fail to implant and within several days a woman will start her period. Conversely, if sperm are present the egg will be fertilized and implanted into the uterine wall, impregnating the woman.

Effects

• Because fertilization occurs within the fallopian tubes, if they are blocked it is impossible for the woman to become pregnant. A woman can release an egg, and sperm can travel through the cervix and uterus, but a blocked fallopian tube will make it impossible for the two to meet.

Identification

• Whether a fallopian tube is blocked may only be determined by a doctor because there are rarely symptoms.
  Blocked fallopian tubes are often caused by a condition known as pelvic inflammatory disease. This is a condition that is commonly associated with sexually transmitted diseases, which can leave scar tissue behind even after they are gone. Ectopic pregnancies and miscarriages as well as endometriosis also can cause fallopian tubes to become blocked.

Considerations

• Pregnancy in a woman with a blocked fallopian tube is not impossible if only one of the fallopian tubes is blocked. Ovaries ovulate during alternate months, and if sperm are present in the unblocked fallopian tube at the same time a woman is ovulating, then pregnancy can occur. Alternatively, if a fallopian tube is not entirely blocked, a few sperm cells can get through and fertilization can take place.

Warning

• Occasionally laproscopic surgery can unblock tubes or remove scar tissue within blocked fallopian tubes. These procedures are not always successful, and there is an increased risk of ectopic pregnancy if the fertilized egg cannot travel freely down the fallopian tube. In these cases, the fertilized egg implants in the fallopian tube itself and not in the uterus. Ectopic pregnancies can be dangerous.