INFERTILITY
- Infertility is the state of not able to get pregnant after at least one year of intercourse.
- Even though a woman who can get pregnant but if she has repeated miscarriages is also said to be infertile.
- In only One-third of infertility cases is due to female factors.
- In another one-third of infertility cases is due to male factors.
- The remaining infertility cases are caused by unknown factors or a mixture of male and feminine factors.
Causes of male infertility
The two main factors that cause male infertility are
- Impaired production or function of sperm
- Impaired delivery of sperm
Impaired production/impaired function of sperm
- Impaired shape of sperm.
- STD infections.
- Impaired movement of sperm.
- Low sperm concentration.
- Oligospermia is the term used when there is less number of sperms in the ejaculate of the male or less than 20 million sperm per milliliter.
- Azoospermia is that the complete absence of sperm within the ejaculate.
- Undescended testicle - Cryptorchidism.
- Testosterone deficiency-male hypogonadism.
- Genetic defects- Klinefelter's syndrome.
- Varicocele.
Causes of female infertility
- Thyroid .
- Medications.
- Benign uterine fibroids.
- Pelvic adhesions.
- Early menopause/premature ovarian failure.
- Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) produces too much androgen hormone, which affects ovulation.
- Ovulation disorders.
- Hyperprolactinemia /elevated prolactin.
- Fallopian tube damage or blockage.
- Endometriosis. In endometriosis, the uterine tissue implants and grows outside of the uterus.
Environmental exposure
- Pesticides and other chemicals.
- Tobacco smoking.
- Overheating the testicles.
- Reduction of the number and quality of sperm is caused by the usage of cocaine or marijuana.
