Male and Female Infertility – Causes

Infertility is defined as the inability of a couple to become pregnant after trying for at least one year. About 20 percent of couples in the United States have to deal with the problem of infertility. About 40 percent of infertility cases are due to a problem with the man’s sperm. About another 40 percent of infertility causes are due to a problem with the woman. These causes include ovulation problems, tubal problems, endometriosis, and cervical factors. About 20 percent of infertility cases are due to problems in both men and women or due to unknown causes.

Infertility problems in men can be caused by problems with their sperm. Some men have a low sperm count. The normal sperm count in a milliliter of semen is more than 20 million. A man with a sperm count of 5 to 20 million is considered subfertile. A man with a sperm count of less than 5 million is considered infertile. Sperm that don’t swim well (sperm motility) and don’t have normal structures can also cause problems. Some sperm may be immature or have head or tail abnormalities. A semen sample must contain less than 25 percent of these sperm types to be considered normal. An abnormal volume of semen can also lower the chances of successful fertilization.

There are many conditions that can negatively affect your sperm, such as having only one testicle, testicles that are smaller than normal, or abnormally large veins (varicocele) in the testicles. There are things that can affect sperm formation (spermatogenesis), including exposure to various toxins, alcohol abuse, drug use, anabolic steroid use, diabetes, and thyroid or other endocrine diseases. There are treatments that could help with male infertility. Your doctor can improve the motility of your sperm by injecting you with small doses of testosterone. You can get rid of varicoceles through surgery. There is also a procedure called artificial insemination that may help. Artificial insemination is a mechanical means of depositing the male’s more mobile sperm or donor sperm into the female’s uterus.

Ovulation problems explain most cases of female infertility. If there are ovulation problems, there may not be any eggs to fertilize. Problems with the thyroid and pituitary glands can be responsible for ovulation problems, as they release hormones that help regulate the menstrual cycle. There are medications that can boost fertility like Clomid and Pergonal. You can check that you don’t have an ovulation problem by making sure that an egg is produced each month, that your morning body temperature is slightly higher at the time of ovulation, and that luteinizing hormones are released just before ovulation.

Pelvic adhesions are fibrous scars that prevent sperm from reaching the egg or interfere with fertilization. These scars can be caused by previous surgeries, abortions, previous childbirth, or pelvic inflammatory disease. Endometriosis can lead to pelvic adhesions. Endometriosis is a disorder in which uterine tissue is found outside the uterus. Bleeding from the uterine tissue during the menstrual period can cause irritation within the pelvis, which can lead to scarring. Pelvic adhesions can also block a fallopian tube. This can prevent the egg and sperm from meeting in the fallopian tube.

A hysterosalpingogram is an x-ray exam that can show if a fallopian tube is blocked. This test checks to see if the dye material can travel through the tube. Some women have gotten pregnant after this test because the contrast material helped clear the blockage in the fallopian tube. A doctor can determine if you have scarring by doing a laparoscopy. This procedure uses an endoscope that is inserted into the abdomen through an incision near the navel. During laparoscopy, the doctor can treat pelvic adhesions by cutting them with special instruments. There are also medications that can treat endometriosis. Also, surgery may be required if there is an obstruction caused by pelvic adhesions.

Problems with the cervix can also cause infertility. The cervix is ​​the opening from the vagina to the uterus. The cervix produces mucus, which helps transport sperm to the uterus. Sometimes the mucus is too thick and will prevent sperm from entering the uterus. There are some situations where there is less mucus due to an injury that reduces the number of glands in the cervix. Also, if surgery or infection caused scarring of the cervix, the opening of the cervix may be narrowed, making it difficult for sperm to pass through. If there is an infection, you can use antibiotics to treat it. If the problem is mucus, you can use artificial insemination to avoid mucus.