Understanding of Infertility

Infertility is a disease of the reproductive system defined by the

failure to achieve a pregnancy after 12 months or more of regular
unprotected sex (without contraception) between a man and a
woman. Around 9 to 15% of couples will have fertility problems.
Infertility can affect men and women.

Infertility in women can be due to diverse problems. It could be a

problem within the ovaries. For example, eggs may be of low fertility,
or ovulation may not occur, or it may occur but irregularly which
would an etc how often she has her period. Infertility could also be
due to problems with the fallopian tubes caused by a blockage (often
after infection) or with the uterus (or womb). Women can have
fertility problems even if they still have regular periods.

Infertility in men is most often due to too few sperms, poor sperm
quality or sperm that do not move properly. Men’s infertility could
also be due to mumps when it occurs during puberty. Mumps is a
viral infection that causes swelling of glands below the ears. Finally,
men can have problems ejaculating, which makes it difficult to have
sex and to father a child through sexual intercourse.

Sometimes both partners can have fertility problems or sometimes

the cause may be unknown. In general, approximately 30% of fertility
problems are due to the woman, 30% due to the man, and 30 to 40%
to both or to unknown causes.

What causes infertility?

There are lots of possible causes of infertility. Seeing a doctor that
specializes in infertility can help you figure out what’s causing your
fertility problems and find the best treatments for you. Sometimes
there’s no known reason for infertility — this is called unexplained
infertility. Unexplained infertility can be really frustrating, but there
are still usually treatment options that you can try.
SOME COMMON REASONS FOR INFERTILITY IN WOMEN INCLUDE:

 Untreated chlamydia or gonorrhea

 Not ovulating (not releasing eggs from your ovaries)
 Your fallopian tubes are blocked so sperm can’t get to your egg
 Poor egg quality
 The shape of your uterus makes it hard for a fertilized egg to
implant
 Endometriosis
 Uterine fibroids

SOME COMMON REASONS FOR INFERTILITY IN MEN INCLUDE:

 Low sperm count (not having enough sperm in your semen)

 Poor sperm motility (when sperm doesn’t swim well enough to
reach an egg)
 Sperm that isn’t formed correctly
 Semen that’s too thick for sperm to easily move around in it
 No sperm in your semen
 Having too much or too little of some of the hormones that
help your body make sperm can also lead to sperm-related
problems that cause infertility.
Infertility can also be caused by a problem with ejaculation. If the
tubes inside your penis or testicles are blocked, you may have a hard
time ejaculating, or nothing comes out when you have an orgasm.
Sometimes, ejaculation can send semen backward from your
prostate into your bladder, instead of out of your penis.