Jovens adultos geralmente tm

capacidades fsicas e boa sade bem

desenvolvidas;

Nesta fase a base para o funcionamento
do organismo ser testada para toda a
vida;

Fatores de contribuem para uma sade e
bem-estar dos jovens adultos:
Quanto e o que comem,
qual seu nvel de aptido fsica,
fuma,
bebe,
ou usa drogas.
Jovem Adulto 20-40 anos (Young Adulthood)
Meia idade 40- 60 anos (Middle Age)
Health Status: Importance of Good Health


Most young adults are in good health. Many are never
seriously ill or incapacitated, and the vast majority have
no chronic conditions or impairments. When young
adults do get sick, it is usually from a cold or other
respiratory illness, which they easily shake off;

Since most young adults are healthy, it is not surprising
that accidents are the leading cause of death for ages
25 to 44. Next comes cancer, then heart disease,
followed by suicide, AIDS, and homicide;

Death rates for young adults have dropped, as have
mortality rates for all other age groups except the
oldest old, those above 85;

Cancer, heart disease, and strokes are down. On the
other hand, too many adultseven young onesare
overweight and not active enough and engage in
health-threatening behaviors.


Behavioral Influences on Health and Fitness
Nutrition
Obesity
Physical Activity
Smoking
Substance Use and Abuse

Nutrition
The saying "You are what you eat" sums up the importance of nutrition for
physical and mental health. What people eat affects how they look, how they feel,
and how likely they are to get sick;

People who eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, which increase the antioxidant
capacity of the blood, lessen their chance of heart disease, stroke, and cancer;

Just eating five servings of fruits and vegetables daily could lower the risk by 20
percent (World Cancer Research Fund and American Institute for Cancer
Research);

A diet high in animal fat has been linked with colon cancer. However, some studies
point only to the fat in red meator to other components of red meat, such as
protein, iron, or substances that become cancer-producing when cookedas
likely culprits.

Fat consumption does not seem to be related to breast cancer, but does seem to
be implicated in prostate cancer.

A six-year study of nearly 48,000 men found that eating tomato-based sauces
reduces the risk of prostate cancer by as much as 45 percent. Tomatoes are rich in
lycopene, an antioxidant that may protect against the disease.

Obesity
The World Health Organization (WHO) has called obesity a worldwide epidemic.
Obesity more than doubled in the United Kingdom between 1980 and 1994, and
similar increases have been reported in Brazil, Canada, and several countries in
Europe, the Western Pacific, Southeast Asia, and Africa;

Obesity is increasing in both sexes and all segments of the population, but especially
among 18- to 29-year-olds and people with some college education. What explains
the obesity epidemic?

Some experts point to availability of inexpensive "fast foods" in "supersized" portions;
high-fat diets; labor-saving technologies; and sedentary recreational pursuits, such as
television and computers;

In a society that values slenderness, being overweight can lead to emotional
problems; it also carries risks of high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, diabetes
and some cancers (National Task Force on the Prevention and Treatment of Obesity);

In a 14-year longitudinal study of more than 1 million U.S. men and women, the risk
of death from all causes, especially cardiovascular disease, increased with the degree
of overweight.

Fomos projetados para ganhar peso





As molculas e genes que controlam nosso
comportamento alimentar moldaram-se durante a
escassez de alimento;


39.000 jovens investigados 50% no esto satisfeitos
com seu peso e 40% deles esto envolvidos diretamente
com dietas e exerccios para o emagrecimento
Wharton, Adams, Hampi, (2008)
O emagrecimento hoje um problema
social.

Mobilidade limitada;
Stress articular pela prpria
sustentao;
Articulaes instveis;
Grande intolerncia ao calor;
Quais so os problemas gerados pela
obesidade que limitam a pratica do exerccio ?

Leses;
Desconforto;
Insuficiente auto-disciplina;
Exposio e aborrecimentos;
Insegurana;
Lenta perda de peso
Quais so os fatores que
contribuem para a desistncia da
atividade fsica ?
O indivduo obeso porque no faz
exerccio ?
ou...
No faz exerccio porque obeso ?
Physical Activity
Adults who are physically active reap many benefits. Aside from helping to maintain
desirable body weight, physical activity builds muscles; strengthens heart and lungs;
lowers blood pressure; protects against heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer, and
osteoporosis (a thinning of the bones that is most prevalent in middle-aged and older
women, causing fractures); relieves anxiety and depression; and lengthens life;

Even moderate exercise has health benefits. Incorporating more physical activity into
daily lifefor example, by walking instead of driving short distances, and climbing
stairs instead of taking elevatorscan be as effective as structured exercise;

Keeping physically active may prevent early death. In a longitudinal study of 15,902
healthy Finnish men and women ages 25 to 64, those who got even occasional
exercise were less likely to die within the next 19 years, regardless of genetic or
familial factors.;

A 5-year follow-up of nearly 10,000 men found a 44 percent reduction in mortality
risk among those who had been sedentary and became moderately fit. If adultsand
children as wellengaged in 30 minutes of moderate physical activity daily, an
estimated 250,000 deaths a year could be avoided, most of them from cardiovascular
disease;

The total time spent exercising is more important than the type, intensity, or
continuity of activity. Even brief periods of exercise throughout the day can add up
to lifesaving protection.

Recomendaes do American College of Sports
Medicine para Reduo Ponderal
A intensidade do exerccio deve ser 50 a 85% do VO2 mx ou
60 a 90% da reserva da FC mx;
A perda de peso deve ocorrer em uma mdia de 0,5 a 1,0
quilo por semana;
Praticar exerccios aerbios de 3 a 5 vezes por semana entre
15 a 60';

Ainda...
Pesquisas pelo mundo tm mostrado que cargas com 55 a 70
% da Fc mx. so extremamente positivas no emagrecimento
(Gappmaier, et al. 2008)
Redues de apenas 5 a 10% do peso corporal potencializam
importantes benefcios para a sade a longo prazo
(National Heart and Lung and Blood Institute,2002; Egger, 2008)

Importncia do treinamento de fora para a manuteno e
aumento TMB
(Knuttgen, 2007)
Tempo e frequncia do treino no emagrecimento
300 = -13 kg, 180= -6,5 Kg e 120 = -3,5 kg






Ento...porque obter resultados significativos
ainda um grande desafio ?

INDIVIDUALIDADE
A revoluo na cincia encontra-se no DNA, nossa estrutura
gentica individual e exclusiva;

O projeto Genoma humano identificou os 8 bilhes de letras
que compem nossos 30.000 genes;

IMPORTANTE...
Existem mais e 3 milhes de variaes destas letras na
espcie humana, o que torna cada um de ns um ser nico

Portanto, os treinos devem ser especficos
Motivando o aluno para o engajamento no
exerccio durante a aula: Medidas de desempenho

Diminuir tempo em uma tarefa;
Abaixar o tempo de trabalho da srie e manter o nmero
de repeties;
Manter o tempo de trabalho da srie e aumentar o
nmero de repeties;
Fracionar as repeties ou distncias e depois desafiar a
soma das unidades para um resultado final;
Histrias de conquistas;
Imagens de incentivo;
Prmios coletivos e individuais

COMEMORAR AS CONQUISTAS
Sabinsky, et al. 2007; Annesi, Whitaker, 2008
Formulando programas especficos para o
emagrecimento
1-) Inicie o programa com 80% de exerccios aerbios de
baixa intensidade (fceis de execuo e que envolvem
grandes grupamentos musculares) ;
2-) Introduza sries aerbias intervaladas de maior
intensidade com descanso ativo aerbio;
3-) Programe sries aerbias intervaladas e nos intervalos
proponha exerccios de fora;
4-) Alterne dias de treinamento aerbio e treinamento de
fora PARA hipertrofia;
5-) Diminua os exerccios aerbios e maximize o treinamento
de fora PARA hipertrofia
Finalmente....
Varie a estrutura das aulas
Dinamize o programa com novas
inseres de contedos
Estabelea metas e se esforce para
que as mesmas sejam realizadas

Smoking
Smoking is the leading preventable cause of death. It kills about 400,000 people yearly.
When victims of passive smokinginhaling other peoples smokeare added, the
death toll may reach more than 450,000;

The link between smoking and lung cancer is well established. Smoking and exposure to
environmental smoke are estimated to be responsible for about 90 percent of lung
cancer;

Lung cancer is now the leading cause of cancer deaths in women as well as in men.
Smoking is also linked to cancer of the larynx, mouth, esophagus, bladder, kidney,
pancreas, and cervix; to gastrointestinal problems, such as ulcers; to respiratory
illnesses, such as bronchitis and emphysema; to osteoporosis; and to heart disease

Smoking strains the heart. By constricting the blood vessels, it makes the heart beat
faster, raises blood pressure, and reduces the oxygen supply. Smokers are five times as
likely as nonsmokers to have heart attacks in their thirties or forties;

As the risks have become known, smoking has declined more than 37 percent since
1965 (AHA, 1995). However, the trend among 18- to 25-year-olds has begun to reverse
(Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) as smoking among high
school and college students has increased
Substance Use and Abuse
The United States is a drinking society. Advertising equates liquor, beer, and wine with the
good life and with being "grown up." About 60 percent of 21- to 39-year-olds report using
alcohol, and the youngest adults tend to be the heaviest drinkers. Nearly half (46 percent) of
18- to 25-year-olds, predominantly young men, are binge drinkers, downing five or more
drinks at a session;

Alcohol use is risky and is associated with other risks characteristic of young adulthood, such
as traffic accidents, crime, and HIV infection.
Driving under the influence of alcohol or other drugs can be deadly. A nationally
representative survey estimates that nearly 1 in 4 driversmost commonly a young adult
gets behind the wheel within 2 hours after drinking, and 1 in 20 drives after using other
drugs, resulting in more than 16,000 deaths and 1 million injuries each year;

Alcohol is also implicated in deaths from drowning, suicide, fire, and falls; and it is often a
factor in family violence. It is estimated that a majority of homicides involve alcohol;

Although moderate alcohol consumption seems to reduce the risk of fatal heart disease, the
definition of moderate has become more restricted. Men who take more than one drink a
day have much higher death rates from cancer, which outweigh any benefits to the heart.
Women can safely drink only about half as much as men ;

College is a prime time and place for drinking and drugs. The overwhelming majority of
college students use alcohol, and as many as 40 percent binge drink at least once in 2 weeks.
Students who binge (farra) drink tend to miss classes, get in trouble with authorities, cause
property damage, drive after drinking, and engage in unplanned, unsafe sexual activity or
sexual aggression
Indirect Influences on Health and
Fitness

Socioeconomic Status and Ethnicity; Gender and
Relationships and Health
Socioeconomic Status and Ethnicity
Death rates have declined overall in the world since 1960, the disparity between
the high death rates of poor and poorly educated people and the lower death
rates of more affluent, better-educated people has increased; The less schooling
people have had, the greater the chance that they will develop and die from
communicable diseases, injuries, or chronic ailments (such as heart disease), or
that they will become victims of homicide or suicide;

Poverty often results in poor nutrition, substandard housing, and limited access to
health care; Better-educated and more affluent people have healthier diets and
better preventive health care and medical treatment. They exercise more, are less
likely to be overweight, and smoke less. They are more likely to use alcohol, but to
use it in moderation;

The associations between education, living conditions, and health help explain the
deplorable state of health in some minority populations. Young black adults are 20
times more likely to have high blood pressure than young white adults;

And African Americans are more than twice as likely as white people to die in
young adulthood, in part because young black men are about 7 times as likely to
be victims of homicide.
Gender
Which sex is healthier: women or men?
One reason this question is hard to answer is that until recently women have
been excluded from many important studies of health problems that affect both sexes;

Certain health problemsthose affecting the female reproductive systemare limited
to women; others, such as prostate and testicular cancer, affect only men.

Some diseases, such as lung cancer, are more common among men, though this
difference has decreased. Others, such as heart disease, tend to strike men earlier in
life than women. Still others, such as eating disorders, rheumatoid arthritis, and
osteoporosis , are more common among women;

We do know that women have a higher life expectancy than men and lower death
rates throughout life. Womens greater longevity has been attributed to genetic
protection given by the second X chromosome (which men do not have) and, before
menopause, to beneficial effects of the female hormone estrogen, particularly on
cardiovascular health;

However, psychosocial and cultural factors, such as mens greater propensity for risk
taking and their preference for meat and potatoes rather than fruits and vegetables,
also may play a part

Relationships and Health

Personal relationships may be vital to health. Adults without friends or loved ones are
susceptible to a wide range of troubles, including traffic accidents, eating disorders, and
suicide. People isolated from friends and family are twice as likely to fall ill and die as
people who maintain social ties;

Emotional support may help minimize stress. People who are in touch with others may
be more likely to eat and sleep sensibly, get enough exercise, avoid substance abuse,
and get necessary medical care;

Married people, especially men, tend to be healthier physically and, in some research,
psychologically than those who are never-married, widowed, separated, or divorced.
Married people have fewer disabilities or chronic conditions that limit their activities;
and when they go to the hospital, their stays are generally short. Married people live
longer, too, according to a study in 16 industrial countries. Married people, especially
men, seem to lead healthier, safer lives. They take fewer risks and encourage their
spouses to pay more attention to their health;

Married people also tend to be better off financially, a factor associated with physical
and mental health. In a study of more than 36,000 men and women ages 25 to 64,
married people were less likely to die than unmarrieds. However, people with high
incomes, married or single, were more likely to survive than were married people with
low incomes; the highest mortality was among low-income singles
A Revoluo do auto-controle
A boa madeira no cresce com sossego; quanto mais
forte o vento, mais fortes as rvores
J. Willard Marriott
Frente a um desafio trs so as
atitudes a serem tomadas
Uma pessoa iluminada, entende que o todo inevitvel, no existe alegria,
se no existir tristeza; no existi amor, se no existir o dio; no existe o
claro, se no existe o escuro, no existe amigo que em algum momento
tenha virado seu inimigo
Osho
Hierarquia das decises
A B C D E
Fluxo da informao: viso Newtoniana -
Linear
B
A C
E D
Fluxo da informao: viso Quntica -
Holstica
O re-nascimento a cada momento

Tudo possvel em termos de
inteligncia
O poder do estado
a mente que faz a bondade e a maldade, que faz a tristeza ou a
felicidade, a riqueza e a pobreza
Edmund Spencer
Representaes internas:
O que e como representamos em nossa mente
O que e como dizemos e ouvimos em nossa mente
Estado
COMPORTAMENTO
fsico
verbal
postura
respirao


FISIOLOGIA
bioqumica
tenso
muscular/relaxa-
mento
mudana da cor da
pele
Exerccio 1



Tornando-se mais forte para a
vitria: o poder da modelagem
Caractersticas fundamentais do
carter de indivduos vencedores
1 Paixo: razo ou motivo que o
consome, energiza, quase obsessivo, que
o leva a fazer, a crescer, a tornar-se maior

2- Crena: saber o que quer e acreditar
que conseguir
3- Estratgia: meio de organizar os recursos

4- Clareza de valores: sistemas especficos de
crenas que temos sobre o que certo ou
errado em nossas vidas

5 Energia: dedicao obcecada pelas
extraordinrias oportunidades de cada dia e
reconhecimento de que ningum tem tempo
suficiente
Caractersticas fundamentais do
carter de indivduos vencedores
6 Poder da unio: capacidade de formar
laos fortes de crescimento constante

7 Domnio da comunicao: maneira
com que nos comunicamos com os outros
e com ns mesmos
Caractersticas fundamentais do
carter de indivduos vencedores
Encfalo social
Exerccio 2
Como as crenas afetam nosso
futuro ?
1- Ambiente
2- Acontecimentos pequenos ou grandes
3- Conhecimento
4- Resultados passados
5- Criao na sua mente
Exerccio 3
As seis verdades do sucesso
A mente esta em seu prprio lugar, e em si mesma. Pode fazer um
Cu do Inferno, um Inferno do Cu
John Milton
1- No h coisa chamada fracasso,
somente resultados;
2- Qualquer acontecimento, assuma a
responsabilidade;
3-No necessrio entender tudo, para ser
capaz de usar;
4- As pessoas so seus maiores recursos;
5- Trabalho prazer;
6- No h processo permanente sem
confiana
No encontre um defeito, encontre uma soluo
Henry Ford
Placebo: quando a mente faz com que a sade ou
o desempenho de uma pessoa melhore
Pacientes com problemas nos discos cartilagneos do joelho
(Moseley et al, 2002)
80% do efeito de antidepressivos, pode ser atribudo ao placebo
(Kirsch et al, 2002)
Aspartato de arginina e placebo
(Sales et al, 2005)
Nocebo: quando a mente emite sugestes negativas
que podem afetar a sade
Suas crenas se tornam seus pensamentos.
Seus pensamentos se tornam suas palavras.
Suas palavras se tornam suas aes
Suas aes se tornam seus hbitos
Seus hbitos se tornam seus valores
Seus valores se tornam o seu destino
Lipton
Dominando sua mente: aprenda a
dirigir seu crebro
No somos meras vtimas dos nossos genes, mas sim senhores do nosso destino
Bruce H. Lipton
Teste de So Tom
Teste de So Tom
Teste de So Tom
Teste de So Tom
Teste de So Tom
Teste de So Tom
Experincia associativa e
desassociativa
Exerccio 4
Todo comportamento humano, resultado do estado em que estamos, e
nossos estados so criados por nossas representaes internas, isto , as
coisas que imaginamos e que dizemos a ns mesmos
Anthony Robbins
Sistemas representacionais:
modalidades e submodalidades
Exerccio 5
Exerccio 6
No h nada bom ou mau, mas o pensamento o faz assim
William Shakespeare
Psychosomatic Medicine, 2003
Podemos construir ou
destruir imagens de
tentaes e prazer...
Podemos mudar o que
sentimos...
Podemos controlar nosso
crebro, e este, o
nosso maior poder
O sucesso esta na integrao dos eus, isto , se um decide
referenciar e o outro decide ficar em p, temos um problema
Osho
Criando mudanas automticas
Conhea os 12 pilares para o sucesso no treinamento focado no emagrecimento saudvel

Treinamento mental: a transformao essencial a central;
Nossos corpos so nossos jardins... Nossas vontades so jardineiros
William Shakespeare
Conhea os 12 pilares para o sucesso no treinamento focado no emagrecimento saudvel

Treinamento mental: a transformao essencial a central;
Qual o nosso poder ?
Infeliz ser o dia que o homem desistir de seu desejo de se superar. Infeliz
ser o dia em que o homem se sinta satisfeito em ser apenas um
homem
Nietzsche
...o homem no o destino, mas sim, uma ferramenta para o mesmo
Sexual and Reproductive Issues


Sexual Dysfunction
Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs)
Problems Related to Menstruation
Infertility
Sexual Dysfunction

For a surprising proportion of adults, sex is not easy or enjoyable. Sexual dysfunction is a
persistent disturbance in sexual desire or sexual response. It can include a variety of
problems, such as lack of interest in or pleasure from sex, painful intercourse, difficulty in
arousal, premature orgasm or ejaculation, inability to reach climax, and anxiety about sexual
performance;

Sexual dysfunction is most common in young women and in middle-aged and older men,
among whom it often takes the form of erectile dysfunction, or impotence in-depth
interviews with a nationally representative sample of 1,749 women and 1,410 men ages 18
to 59, 43 percent of the women and 31 percent of the men reported some form of sexual
dysfunction;

The most common problem for young women was lack of interest in sex; 27 percent of 18- to
29-year-old women reported finding sex nonpleasurable, 21 percent reported physical pain,
and 16 percent reported anxiety about sex. Young men were about as likely as older men to
experience premature ejaculation, anxiety about performance, and nonpleasurable sex;

Although sexual dysfunction can have physical causes, some risk factors are connected with
general health, lifestyle, and emotional well-being. Married and college-educated men and
women have fewer sexual problems than unmarried or less educated ones. Stress caused by
a sudden drop in income tends to increase sexual dysfunction. Men and women who were
victims of childhood sexual abuse tend to have poor sexual adjustment;

These findings suggest that sexual dysfunction is a widespread, and largely unsuspected,
public health problem. Unfortunately, according to this study, only 10 percent of men and 20
percent of women who have the problem seek medical treatment;

Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs)

The risks of unprotected sexual activity with multiple partners are no different in young adulthood than in
adolescence. Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)some of which also can be acquired through other
means, such as, blood transfusionsare a major public health problem among young adults;
Worldwide, some 33.4 million people are estimated to have HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. People of
working age are at highest risk In many South African countries, 20 to 26 percent of 15- to 49-year-olds are
infected. Life expectancy there is predicted to fall from 64 to 47 years by 2015, reversing decades of
progress through disease control;
In the United States, where about 665,000 people are infected the AIDS epidemic has begun to come
under control. In 1995 AIDS became the leading cause of death for 25- to 44-year-olds. By 1997 it had
dropped to fifth, though it remained the leading cause of death for African American young adults. In that
year, for the population as a whole, deaths from HIV infection fell 47.7 percent, toppling it from the eighth
to the fourteenth leading cause of death (Globally, most HIV-infected adults are heterosexual (Altman,
1992). In the United States, HIV has been most prevalent among drug abusers who share contaminated
hypodermic needles, homosexual and bisexual men, people who (like Arthur Ashe) have received
transfusions of infected blood or blood products, people who have had sexual contact with someone in
one of these high-risk groups, and infants who have been infected in the womb or during birth (Edlin et al.,
1994). The incidence of HIV among homosexual men and injection drug users in their early twenties has
slowed, but heterosexual transmission has increased, particularly among minorities. The result is a
growing incidence of infection in young minority women alongside a dramatic reduction in incidence in
young white men;
Voluntary testing is a critical element of STD control. Unfortunately, it is not easy to motivate people to
have it done. In one study, college psychology students viewed a film on unsafe sexual behavior and
vulnerability to HIV infection. The students filled out questionnaires before and after seeing the film, and
again four weeks later. Although the film heightened sexually active students perceptions of personal risk,
only 17 percent subsequently got tested, asked their partners to be tested, or initiated inquiries about
testing;
Educating people to use condoms, the most effective means of preventing STDs, is not always easy either.
Among 822 inner-city women (average age, about 26), only 7 percent reported consistent condom use by
their main partners, and 12 percent by other partners, even though most of the women were
knowledgeable and concerned about AIDS. Women who reported consistent condom use, and those who
were seriously considering it, tended to have a stronger sense of self-efficacy, or confidence in their ability
to achieve their goals, than those who were not yet contemplating it. Self-efficacy may help women to be
more assertive with partners who resist using condoms (Stark et al., 1998).

Problems Related to Menstruation

Although women enjoy valuable protection due to hormonal activity during the reproductive
years, the menstrual cycle can produce health problems. Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is a
disorder involving physical discomfort and emotional tension during the one to two weeks
before a menstrual period. Symptoms may include fatigue, food cravings, headaches, swelling
and tenderness of the breasts, swollen hands or feet, abdominal bloating, nausea,
constipation, weight gain, anxiety, depression, irritability, mood swings, tearfulness, and
difficulty concentrating or remembering ("PMS: Its Real," 1994; Reid & Yen, 1981). These
symptoms are not distinctive in themselves; it is their timing that identifies PMS.
Unlike dysmenorrhea, or menstrual cramps, which tend to afflict adolescents and younger
women, PMS typically affects women in their thirties or older. Up to 70 percent of
menstruating women may have some symptoms, but in fewer than 10 percent do they create
significant health problems (Freeman, Rickels, Sondheimer, & Polansky, 1995; "PMS: Its
Real," 1994).
Although some people believe PMS has emotional origins, a double-blind study established
that it is an abnormal response to normal monthly surges of the female hormones estrogen
and progesterone, possibly due to differences in the brain receptors for those hormones. By
artificially administering the hormones, researchers induced PMS symptoms in women who
had the syndrome but not in women who did not have it or in women who received a
placebo, which has no active ingredients (Schmidt, Nieman, Danaceau, Adams, & Rubinow,
1998).
How to treat PMS is controversial. One widely used treatmentadministration of
progesterone in the form of a pill or suppositoryproved in a large, randomized, controlled
study to be no more beneficial than a placebo (Freeman, Rickels, Sondheimer, & Polansky,
1990). In a follow-up study, anti-anxiety pills proved more effective (Freeman et al., 1995).
For milder symptoms, some doctors recommend exercise and dietary changes, such as
avoiding fat, sodium, caffeine, and alcohol ("PMS: Its Real," 1994).

Infertility

An estimated 8 to 17 percent of U.S. couples experience infertility: inability to conceive
a baby after 12 to 18 months of trying (ISLAT Working Group, 1998; Mosher & Pratt,
1991).
The most common cause of infertility in men is production of too few sperm. Although
only one sperm is needed to fertilize an ovum, a sperm count lower than 60 to 200
million per ejaculation makes conception unlikely. Sometimes an ejaculatory duct is
blocked, preventing the exit of sperm; or sperm may be unable to "swim" well enough
to reach the cervix. Some cases of male infertility seem to have a genetic basis (King,
1996; Phillips, 1998; Reijo, Alagappan, Patrizio, & Page, 1996).
If the problem is with the woman, she may not be producing ova; the ova may be
abnormal; mucus in the cervix may prevent sperm from penetrating it; or a disease of
the uterine lining may prevent implantation of the fertilized ovum. A major cause of
declining fertility in women after age 30 is deterioration in the quality of their ova (van
Noord-Zaadstra et al., 1991). However, the most common female cause is blockage of
the fallopian tubes, preventing ova from reaching the uterus. In about half of these
cases, the tubes are blocked by scar tissue from sexually transmitted diseases (King,
1996).
Infertility burdens a marriage emotionally. Women, especially, often have trouble
accepting the fact that they cannot do what comes so naturally and easily to others.
Partners may become frustrated and angry with themselves and each other and may
feel empty, worthless, and depressed (Abbey, Andrews, & Halman, 1992; H. W. Jones &
Toner, 1993). Their sexual relationship may suffer as sex becomes a matter of "making
babies, not love." Such couples may benefit from professional counseling or support
from other infertile couples.