Infertility is a couple's inability to get pregnant after a year or more of regular unprotected sex. It affects both men and women, with a range of different causes. Understanding infertility better can help you get the required treatment and to manage your reproductive health effectively.
Sperm Disorders
Hormonal Imbalance
Varicocele
Infertility can occur due to numerous factors and affects both men and women. Let us look at some of the most common causes of infertility and understand them better.
Let's look at the some of the causes for the infertility in women.
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is a hormonal disorder that affects ovulation and can lead to fertility issues.
PCOS disrupts ovulation and makes it more difficult for women to conceive.
While PCOS does cause infertility, many women with PCOS can still achieve pregnancy. Early treatment can help manage the condition and improve fertility outcomes.
Uterine fibroids are non-cancerous growths that develop in the uterus, often leading to discomfort or fertility issues.
Uterine Fibroid Symptoms
Uterine Fibroid Treatment
When the ovaries stop functioning properly before you turn 40, it can lead to fertility challenges.
This condition, known as primary ovarian insufficiency, affects hormone production and ovulation.
Primary ovarian insufficiency symptoms include:
Also, known as Hydrosalpinx, the blockage of the fallopian tube is caused by a fluid buildup and dilation of the tube at its end. It can prevent eggs from reaching the uterus, leading to fertility issues.
Blocked fallopian tube symptoms could include:
7 steps to getting pregnant with blocked fallopian tubes:
Endometriosis is caused when tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside of it. This causes pain and fertility issues.
Can endometriosis cause infertility? Yes, endometriosis can cause infertility by blocking the fallopian tubes or affecting the ovaries. This makes it harder for eggs and sperm to meet.
Let's look at the some of the causes for the infertility in men.
Sperm Disorders
A leading cause of male infertility is sperm disorders. This often involves issues with sperm count, motility, or shape, resulting in infertile sperm. These disorders can prevent sperm from fertilising an egg effectively.
Hormonal Imbalance
Hormonal imbalances can lead to infertility in men too.
Fatigue, mood swings, low libido, muscle loss, and weight gain are some of the symptoms of hormonal imbalance in men. Testosterone and other hormone levels often decline with age or stress, impacting energy, strength, and mental clarity.
Varicocele
Varicocele is an enlargement of veins within the scrotum, often affecting sperm production and testicular health.
Varicocele symptoms include pain, swelling, and a lump in the scrotum. Varicocele causes are usually related to faulty vein valves, causing blood pooling.
Testicular adrenal rest tumour (TART) is a type of benign tumour that grows in the testis.
It mostly occurs in patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia and is one of the possible causes of infertility among men. Correct diagnosis of the condition is very important and treatment options mainly consist of glucocorticoid dosage to shrink or maintain the tumour size.
Accurate and timely diagnosis of infertility is the first step towards treating it.
Infertility diagnosis involves a comprehensive assessment of both you and your partner to identify underlying causes. Tests include a medical history evaluation and physical examinations. Specific tests such as blood tests, semen analysis, and imaging studies may also be done. Timely diagnosis is crucial for creating an effective treatment plan, to help you achieve your goal of conception.
Infertility Treatment
There are various infertility treatment options. Which one to go for depends on whether the man or the woman needs it and the underlying conditions. A tailored treatment plan, developed with your fertility specialist, increases the likelihood of getting pregnant.
Treatment options for addressing reproductive health issues in women may include lifestyle modifications, medications to stimulate ovulation, and assisted reproductive technologies like in vitro fertilisation (IVF).
Female infertility treatment is often personalised, and guided by fertility specialists to enhance the likelihood of successful conception.
For men, a hormone test for male infertility assesses testosterone and other relevant hormones.
Male infertility treatment focuses on addressing underlying causes identified during the infertility diagnosis. Infertility treatment may include lifestyle changes, medications, or assisted reproductive technologies.
Common male infertility treatments include hormone therapy to balance testosterone levels or surgical interventions when needed.
In vitro fertilisation (IVF) is a widely used assisted reproductive technology.
During the IVF process, eggs are retrieved from the ovaries and combined with sperm in a laboratory. The resulting embryos are monitored. When ready they are implanted in the uterus, increasing your chances of pregnancy.
Fertility treatments often involve stimulating the ovaries to produce eggs through ovulation induction.
This process commonly uses ovulation induction drugs like Clomiphene citrate or gonadotropins to regulate hormonal balance. Various ovulation induction protocols, such as the Clomid protocol, gonadotropin protocol, and letrozole protocol, are tailored to fit individual needs.
Surgery can effectively address reproductive issues in both men and women.
Laparoscopic surgery for blocked fallopian tubes removes obstructions and can restore fertility. For men, varicocele surgery treats enlarged veins affecting sperm production. Additionally, tubal surgery may correct structural problems in the fallopian tubes, improving your chances of conception.
Fertility treatments often include intrauterine insemination (IUI), a method that places sperm directly into the uterus during ovulation to increase the chances of fertilisation.
The intrauterine insemination technique is minimally invasive. It is commonly recommended for couples facing unexplained infertility or mild male factor infertility. It is considered as a simpler alternative to IVF.
Prenatal boost
Start adding prenatal vitamins with folic acid in your diet to help with conception.
Cycle tracking
A menstrual cycle log helps you identify the best time for intercourse to conceive.
Time it right
Understand your ovulation cycle and time of intercourse to help increase conception chance
If you’ve been trying to conceive for over a year unsuccessfully, it could be a sign of infertility. If you are over the age of 35 and having trouble conceiving, that could also indicate it's time to consult a doctor.
Yes, maintaining a healthy diet, reducing stress, and avoiding smoking and alcohol can improve fertility in both men and women.
Fertility declines with age, especially for women over 35, as the number and quality of eggs decrease. Men also experience a gradual decline in fertility.
Common myths include believing that infertility is always a woman’s fault, that birth control pills cause infertility, or that infertility is untreatable. In reality, it affects both genders and many treatments are available.
Infertility can often be treated through lifestyle changes, medication, surgery, or assisted reproductive technologies like IVF and IUI. Early diagnosis and intervention are key. If you have been trying to achieve pregnancy for over a year, you could consider seeing a fertility expert.
