| Infertility (also known as sterility) is the inability to get pregnant after, at least, one year of trying. A female is not necessarily to be blamed. In 30% of cases infertility is because of the female. In another one third of cases, sterility is due to the man. The remaining cases are brought on by a mixture of male and female factors or by unknown factors.
Problems with ovulation account for most cases of infertility in females. If a female menstruates irregularly or does not menstruate at all, she might have problems with ovulation. Other causes of reproduction problems in women are plugged oviducts due to pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), endometriosis, or operation for an ectopic pregnancy, physical problems with the womb, uterine fibroids.
The female inability to conceive a child can be affected by a lot of things. They include age, nerve-racking situations, poor diet, athletic training, corpulence or anorexia, chain smoking, alcohol abuse and addiction to drugs, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), illnesses that damage the hormonal balance.
Nowadays more women conceive their first child when they are in their 30s or 40s. In fact, approximately 20% of Americans are estimated to have their first child after the age of 35. Hence, age is an increasingly common cause of reproduction problems. About one third of couples where the female is over 35 have reproduction problems.
The most common cause of male infertility is a varicocele - an abnormal enlargement of the vein in the scrotum that drains the testes. This may badly affect sperm production. A blockage in a male reproductive system may result in male sterility. Some medications may also lead to infertility. Other causes of male sterility may include low sperm count, undescended testicles, medical conditions. Males who smoke have a 13-17% lower sperm count that those non-smokers. Alcohol abuse can significantly lower the sperm count. Tight-fitting apparel and prolonged periods of sitting can trigger a decrease in sperm count through excessive heating of the testicles. Cannabis, cocaine and anabolic steroids all decrease the sperm count and adversely influence motility. At times the cause of male sterility is unknown. In these cases, there may be an underlying genetic problem.
Both males and women require specialist aid if they fail to conceive a child naturally. |
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