Approximately one in six couples worldwide have problems in conceiving a baby and if this problems are still there after at least 12 months of trying then most likely one or both partners suffer from a certain form of infertility. Infertility can only be diagnosed by a doctor after making several tests on both partners. Due to the fact that the male and female reproductive systems are totally different we shall talk about the most common causes of infertility separately.
COMMON CAUSES OF INFERTILITY IN WOMEN
1. Endometriosis: this is the most common cause of infertility, and it has a 60% curing rate using laparoscopic surgery to remove the endometrial tissue that grows outside the uterus, blocking the tubes. If after 18 months after the surgery the woman is still not pregnant, then an alternative solution is IVF that has also a big success rate. If you are unsuccessfully trying to conceive and you have the following symptoms then you most likely have endometriosis: painful menstruation, irregular periods, heaving bleeding during the period but also beside it and repeated miscarriages.
2. Polycystic ovary syndrome, or PCOS is another common cause of infertility and it means that the women either has small cysts that prevent ovulation or that she does not ovulate regularly. Due to the fact that it causes some hormonal imbalances, some of its symptoms can be: irregular periods, facial hair, acne, extra weight. The syndrome can be treated with drugs like clomiphene and the success rate is around 70%.
3. Poor egg quality, a problem more than half of the women that passed the age of 30 confront themselves with. Age is an important factor when diagnosing infertility and statistics show that after the age of 30 the body doesn’t product anymore a good amount of quality eggs. As a woman grows old the quality of the eggs will keep diminishing with no evident symptoms. The solutions most often used when dealing with this problem are either egg donation with a 43% success rate or surrogacy.
COMMON CAUSES OF INFERTILITY IN MEN
1. Sperm problems like low sperms counts, poor sperm motility or no sperm at all. These problems have no symptoms at all and until several tests are taken on the sperm of the man they can’t be identified. The solution with the highest success rate, 25% is the fertility drugs that can boost the sperm production. Next on the list, with a success rate of 20% is artificial insemination with donor sperm, but not many couples choose this option.
2. Male tube blockages, meaning any kind of obstruction in the tubes that transport fertile sperm. These blockages are most often encountered in the testicles and they can be caused, among others, by sexually transmitted diseases like Gonorrhea or Chlamydia. The tube blockages can be fixed through surgery, removing the blockage and the success rate of impregnation after the surgery is of 40% within nine months.
These are the most causes of infertility, both in males in females and they can only be diagnosed correctly after going to a doctor or maybe even two.
