The Most Common Causes of Infertility

Old age, stress, or some genetic abnormalities are among the most common causes of infertility. Find out how you can manage them so that you can overcome this delicate situation.

Fertility and stress

Stress is a reaction of the body to anything that upsets our balance. Stress is not a disease, but it can be a source of illness. Physical stress has effects on the menstrual cycle and, consequently, on fertility, causing a hormonal imbalance.

Some studies say that 5% of women who have menstrual delays say they are very stressed because of everyday problems. There are cases in which some women, due to stress, do not menstruate for a few months or have irregular menstruation, which affects their fertility.

In men, studies have shown that stress reduces sperm count. It is difficult to eliminate stress, but it is not impossible to learn to cope with daily challenges.

The advanced age of the parents, a reason for infertility?

Yes, the advanced age of the two partners is certainly a reason for infertility. Old age is the main non-medical cause of infertility. Unfortunately, more and more women and men are concerned about their careers, they want you to ensure the best possible financial condition, but also to convince themselves that they have a long-term relationship, and only then do they think to assume and the role of parent.

The woman is born with an ovarian reserve that begins to decline as the years go by. It is a normal and irreversible process. Thus, if at the age of puberty a woman has about 300,000 eggs, it is good to know that she loses about 500 eggs at each period. The highest point of a woman's fertility is around the age of 18-23 and stabilizes at 27-28 years.

The slight decline begins with the change of the prefix, at the age of 30, and after 35 years things will become more difficult, and after 40 years, the woman's fertility decreases dramatically. And in the case of men, fertility begins to decline with age, especially after the age of 40, but not to the same extent as in the case of their life partners.

When is infertility diagnosed?

When a couple cannot conceive a child after a year in which they have had regular and unprotected sex, it can be considered infertile. Statistics show that one in six couples worldwide is diagnosed with infertility. Once the couple has received this diagnosis, it is good to know that infertility can be treated in 95% of cases.

The only condition is that the couple who wants to become parents go to a doctor who specializes in infertility.

Fertility problems, more in women or men?

It is a myth that a woman is 'guilty' of not having a child. The percentages are divided equally: 50% are female causes, 50% are male causes.

The most important female causes are clogged fallopian tubes that occur as a result of repeated and untreated infections, endometriosis, which influences the genetic material of each woman and leads to infertility or uterine diseases.

The most important cause of male infertility is sperm quality: either too few sperm, or their quality is not good, or both. Sperm quality is very important both for the conception process and for the conception of a healthy fetus.

Diagnosis management

First of all, as I said, a correct diagnosis of infertility is needed. What is the reason why the couple cannot have children? Then, depending on the diagnosis, treatment is instituted. But not all couples diagnosed with infertility need in vitro fertilization. For some, it is enough to take some pills, for others it requires various interventions. And yes, in some cases, it leads to IVF.

The in vitro fertilization procedure includes some very important steps. The first of these is ovarian stimulation, in which, through specific drug therapy, an attempt is made to stimulate the ovaries and produce more follicles to obtain more eggs. The next stage is the collection of oocytes, which is done after the completion of follicular maturation monitoring.

The next step is to fertilize the oocytes collected with the partner's semen. Embryo transfer is the last step. After fertilization, 2-6 days after a follicular puncture, the embryos are transferred to the uterus. After completing this last step, there are 10-15 days of waiting until the patient can take a pregnancy test.