It is quite a common sight - a newly married couple considering or being pestered by family to have a child. If you are one such couple who has been trying to get pregnant for a year now, you are eligible for the diagnosis of infertility.
Women who have gotten pregnant but were unable to carry it till the term-end can be diagnosed with infertility. A woman who has never gotten pregnant can be diagnosed with primary infertility. Second infertility happens in women who have had a successful pregnancy after which they have been having complications getting pregnant again.
Causes
Female infertility can be caused by a wide array of things which interfere with the following:
- Ovulation - the release of an egg from either of the ovaries of the female
- Fertilisation - the fusing of the woman’s egg and the male’s sperm
- Implantation - the fertilised egg attaches itself to the lining of the woman’s uterus, where it can begin to grow into a foetus
Some of the risk factors for infertility in women include:
- Increasing age
- Drug overuse
- Chronic smoking
- Being overweight or significantly underweight
- Having a sexually transmitted infection that can damage one’s reproductive system
Treatment
Sometimes one method of treatment might do the job. Other times a combination might be needed. Treatment can involve surgery - can help with an abnormally shaped uterus, clearing the blockages in the fallopian tubes, removing any fibroids.
Treatment can also include reproductive assistance methods wherein millions of sperms are injected into a woman’s uterus around the time of her ovulation.
Medication can also be used to encourage the release of hormones that help with ovulation.
Men should see a doctor if, after a year of trying, any of the following factors might be responsible for the inability to conceive:
- Erectile dysfunction
- Issues with ejaculation
- Low libido
- Swelling or pain in the genital area
- Any previous surgeries in the genital region
Causes
Infertility in males can be caused in relation to any of the following:
- Sperm Count - production of sperm
- Sperm Morphology - size and shape of the sperm
- Sperm Motility - movement of the sperm
Some of the risk factors include:
- Increasing age
- Drug overuse
- Chronic smoking
- Being overweight or significantly underweight
Treatment
Surgery for men can help with cases where the sperm is not present in the ejaculated content. It can also help with extracting the sperm and using it for reproductive assistance methods, like IVF. You should also get a healthy lifestyle and intake fruits to increase sperm count and motility.
Medications can help to increase sperm count or cure any hormonal imbalances, symptoms of erectile dysfunction, and infections.
Conclusion
Being diagnosed with infertility does not mean that your hopes of bringing a child into this world no longer hold ground. It means that the road to that destination might not be as smooth as expected. Many couples are eventually able to conceive either on their own or with medical assistance, after a point of time. The notion of infertility is slowly being destigmatised in the Indian society as more and more couples see it as a road blockage, and less as something missing in themselves.
