Causes of infertility

Many couples desire to get pregnant and carry a child in their arms. Although some get to experience parenthood, others don’t get to experience it, making them disheartened. There can be several reasons why those couples can’t experience parenthood. Infertility is a common issue faced by a number of couples in recent times.

An Indian Journal of Community Medicine article states that infertility affects approximately 8 to 10 percent of couples worldwide, which means around 60 to 80 million worldwide.

But infertility treatment helps them to fulfill their dream of getting pregnant. When a couple doesn’t get pregnant in a year, that’s when the health care providers deem them as infertile. If the women are older than 35 years, they must start their treatment after six months of trying to conceive.

Women who are more than 40 years of age must begin their infertility evaluation immediately. Remember that infertility does not mean miscarriage or the inability to carry a baby to childbirth. Additionally, when it comes to infertility in men, the chances of getting his female partner to be pregnant tend to be lower due to several reasons. Read further to know the causes of infertility in both men and women.

What are the causes of female infertility?

There are some causes of infertility in women leading to lower chances of pregnancy. Below listed are some of the causes.

1. Ovulation issues: Several glands and hormones work together for the proper functioning of the menstrual cycle. Ovulation occurs when the hypothalamus induces the pituitary gland to produce hormones so that the ovaries will release mature eggs. In case you have irregular or absent periods, it can affect your ovulation. It means that your ovulation might be absent or irregular, like your periods. As mentioned earlier, women above 35 and 40 years of age are diagnosed with infertility immediately than the other age groups. Eggs that age can be one of the causes of issues in ovulation.
2. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) causes infertility: You must have heard the terms PCOS or PCOD. Nowadays, polycystic ovary syndrome or polycystic ovary disease is common among women. Out of every 10 women, at least 7 are diagnosed with PCOS. In polycystic ovary syndrome, the follicles fail to release a mature egg most of the time. If you are diagnosed with PCOS, you must have found tiny immature cysts near your ovaries that can stop the growth of the egg and regular periods.
3. Fallopian tube problems that cause infertility: The other reason for infertility is the problems in fallopian tubes. The sperm must meet the egg and fertilize it down the fallopian tubes for you to get pregnant. But when the fallopian tube is blocked or scarred, it can hinder the egg’s progress, preventing it from meeting the sperm and fertilizing.
4. Endometriosis: The endometrium wall is a uterus lining that increases until your ovulation day. Endometriosis occurs when the wall grows in the other parts of the pelvis or outside the uterus. It negatively impacts the egg and sperm movements and damages the ovaries and fallopian tubes.

What are the causes of male infertility?

Male fertility gets affected due to several below-listed reasons.

1. Immunologic infertility: The antibodies in a man’s body can strike his sperm. Antibodies in the body can occur due to a number of reasons like injury, surgery, infection, and so forth. They obstruct the normal movement of the sperm.
2. Hormones: Sperms are formed when the testicles house testosterone, the male sex hormone. If your hormone levels are poor, it results in poor growth of sperm.
3. Sperm disorders: Some men have sperms that can be oddly shaped or not fully grown, whereas others produce sperms in low numbers. Men can also suffer from a condition known as azoospermia, where there is no sperm in the ejaculate. In such cases, a doctor may recommend a procedure such as home insemination (utilizing donor sperm) to help a couple conceive.