| Infertility (differently called sterility) is the inability to conceive a child after, at least, a year of attempting. Infertility is not always a female problem. Only 30% of cases are brought on by female factors. In another 30% of cases, sterility is because of male factors. The remaining cases are brought on by a combination of male and female factors or by unidentified factors.In most cases problems with ovulation trigger sterility in females. Without ovulation, there are no eggs to be fertilized. Irregular or absent menstrual periods can signal that a female is not ovulating normally. Less common causes of fertility problems in women are blocked oviducts because of pelvic inflammatory disease, endometriosis, or surgery for an ectopic pregnancy, physical problems with the uterus, uterine fibroids.A great many things can affect a woman's ability to get pregnant. They include age, tense situations, unhealthy diet, athletic training, being overweight or underweight, smoking, alcohol abuse and addiction to drugs, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), health problems that result in hormonal imbalances.These days more women conceive their first child when they are in their 30s or 40s. Actually, almost 20% of women in the USA nowadays have their first child after the age of 35. Thus, age is an increasingly common cause of reproduction problems. Approximately one third of couples where the female is over 35 have conception problems.In males, hormone disorders, illnesses, reproductive anatomy injury and obstruction, as well as sexual dysfunction can adversely affect conception temporarily or permanently. Some disorders become more difficult to cure, the longer they are untreated. Smokers have a 13-17% lower sperm count that non-smokers. Addiction to alcohol can considerably reduce the sperm count. Tight fitting clothes and prolonged periods of sitting can bring on a drop in sperm count through undue heating of the testes. Cannabis, cocaine and anabolic steroids all reduce the sperm count and adversely influence motility.Both males and women require specialist assistance if pregnancy does not happen naturally. |
