What is infertility ?

Infertility is the inability to get pregnant after at least one year of trying . Women who are able to get pregnant but have recurrent miscarriages are also considered infertile.
 
During pregnancy the following  must occur

• a woman must release an egg from one of her ovaries
• the egg must travel through the fallopian tube to the uterus
• a man’s sperm must fertilize the egg on the way
• there fertilized egg must be attached to the inside of the uterus (implantation)

 
Infertility can result from problems that interfere with any of these steps.

Is infertility a woman’s problem ?

• Infertility is  found in both men and women and affect both sexes almost equally.
• Decline in sperm counts, testicular abnormalities and decreased reach of climax are common causes of men being infertile
• The most common  cause  of infertility in  women include  endometriosis,  polycystic ovary  syndrome and advanced maternal age which affects quality and quantity of egg

How common is infertility ?

• Infertility is a growing issue among couples. It affects approximately 10 %  ( 6.1 million American couple) of American couple of childbearing age

How long should a couple try before going to see the doctor ?

The American Society of Reproductive Medicine  recommends that

• women under 35 years of age  should consult their doctors after trying to conceive for more than 12 months
• women over the age of 35 years should consult their doctors after trying to conceive for over 6 months

What increases a woman’s risk of infertility ?

Some the factors that may affect a woman’s fertility include the following :

• age
• stress
• being overweight or underweight
• smoking
• drinking alcohol
• sexually transmitted diseases
• poor diet
• health problems that cause hormonal changes

What increases a man’s risk of infertility ?

These factors may put a man at high risk of not being fertile include .

• alcohol
• smoking
• drugs
• radiation treatment and chemotherapy for cancer
• environmental toxins including pesticides and lead
• age
• health problems

How do doctors treat infertility ?

 
It can be treated with the following :

• medicine
• surgery
• intra- uterine insermination
• assisted reproductive technology

 
Most of these treatments are combined. However doctors recommend specific treatments based on the following :

• age of the female
• factors contributing to not being fertile
• duration of not being able to conceive
• couple treatment option after they have been counseled about success rate, benefits and risks of each treatment option

 
Content Sources