What is infertility? Infertility means not being able to get pregnant after one year of trying (or six months if a woman is 35 or older). Women who can get pregnant but are unable to stay pregnant may also be infertile. Pregnancy is the result of a process that has many steps.
Infertility is defined as trying to get pregnant with frequent, unprotected sex for at least a year with no success. Infertility results from female factors about one-third of the time and both female and male factors about one-third of the time.
Common causes of infertility in women include: Fallopian tube obstruction. Blocked or scarred fallopian tubes that prevent sperm from reaching the egg are a frequent cause of infertility. A history of pelvic infections, sexually transmitted diseases or endometriosis increases your risk for fallopian tube obstruction.
In 85% to 90% of cases, infertility is treated with conventional medical therapies, such as medication or surgery. If fertility treatments are unsuccessful, it is possible to use eggs or sperm donated by a third party or to have another woman carry a fetus. Select a category of treatment to learn more.
Overexposure to certain environmental factors, such as pesticides and other chemicals, and radiation. Cigarette smoking, alcohol, marijuana, anabolic steroids, and taking medications to treat bacterial infections, high blood pressure and depression also can affect fertility.
Infertility is common.
You're generally diagnosed with infertility if you don't get pregnant after 1 year or more of trying, or if you have multiple miscarriages.
The most common causes of female infertility include problems with ovulation, damage to fallopian tubes or uterus, or problems with the cervix. Age can contribute to infertility because as a woman ages, her fertility naturally tends to decrease.
Does stress cause infertility? While it's unlikely that stress alone can cause infertility, stress interferes with a woman's ability to get pregnant. Research has shown that women with a history of depression are twice as likely to experience infertility. Anxiety also can prolong the time needed to achieve pregnancy.
If your menstrual cycle lasts 28 days and your period arrives like clockwork, it's likely that you'll ovulate on day 14. That's halfway through your cycle. Your fertile window begins on day 10. You're more likely to get pregnant if you have sex at least every other day between days 10 and 14 of a 28-day cycle.
Frequent male masturbation isn't likely to have much effect on your fertility. Some data shows that optimum semen quality occurs after two to three days of no ejaculation. But other research suggests that men who have normal sperm quality maintain normal sperm motility and concentrations even with daily ejaculation.
Because of this technique, 90% of all infertile males have the potential to conceive their own genetic child. In vitro fertilization: For some couples dealing with male infertility, in vitro fertilization (IVF) is the treatment of choice.
In rare cases, male fertility problems can't be treated, and it's impossible for a man to father a child. Your doctor might suggest that you and your partner consider using sperm from a donor or adopting a child.
Infertility can be primary or secondary. Primary infertility is when a pregnancy has never been achieved by a person, and secondary infertility is when at least one prior pregnancy has been achieved.
Signs and symptoms you may notice include: Problems with sexual function — for example, difficulty with ejaculation or small volumes of fluid ejaculated, reduced sexual desire, or difficulty maintaining an erection (erectile dysfunction) Pain, swelling or a lump in the testicle area. Recurrent respiratory infections.
It's a good idea to see a GP if you have not conceived after a year of trying. Women aged 36 and over, and anyone who's already aware they may have fertility problems, should see their GP sooner. They can check for common causes of fertility problems and suggest treatments that could help.
Surrogacy
In this option for infertile couples, an embryo is either donated or created by the intended parents before being implanted into a surrogate's uterus. The surrogate will carry and deliver the child for the intended parents.
It refers to when a couple have been unable to conceive after 12 months of unprotected sexual intercourse. About one in 6 Australian couples of reproductive age experiences fertility problems.
There is no specific frequency with which a man should ejaculate. There is no solid evidence that failure to ejaculate causes health problems. However, ejaculating frequently can reduce the man's risk of getting prostate cancer. Ejacu-lation can be through having sex or masturbating a few times a day.
Obesity, too much alcohol, and smoking cigarettes all negatively affect sperm count and overall sperm health. So does stress. In fact, stress can actually cause sperm abnormalities and lower sperm concentration.