Understanding infertility and its causes

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Infertility refers to the failure to conceive or achieve pregnancy. In general terms, it means the inability to conceive a child even after a year of regular sexual intercourse without any protection. Women who are able to conceive but not carry a pregnancy may also be diagnosed with infertility. Infertility is not just a problem faced by women; men can be detected with infertility too.

Usually there are two types of infertility

Primary Infertility: It refers to couples who are unable to conceive after at least 1 year of trying for a child.

Secondary Infertility: It refers to those couples who have been successful to get pregnant at least once, but are unable now.

Infertility is a common problem faced by couples worldwide. According to a research conducted by a Bangalore based company, Inito, around 27.5 million couples were facing infertility only in India in 2018. The research revealed that around 10-15% of married couples in India face infertility.

Causes of infertility in Men

Low Sperm count: When the semen which a man ejaculates has low levels of sperm it causes problems in conceiving. A sperm count fewer than 15 million is considered low.

Low Sperm Mobility: The sperm fails to ‘swim’ well as to reach the egg to fertilise it.

Abnormal Sperm: The sperm may have an abnormal shape which makes it harder for it to move and fertilise an egg.

Medical conditions: Conditions like cancer, testicular infection etc. may cause infertility.

Ejaculation disorders: If ejaculatory ducts are blocked, sperms may be ejaculated into the bladder.

Genetic: A man should have an X and Y chromosome. If he has two X and a Y chromosome the testicles will develop abnormally which would result in a low sperm count.

Causes of Infertility in Women

Ovulation Disorders: It is the most common cause of infertility among women. Ovulation is the monthly release of an egg. Eggs may never be released or released only in cycles.

Cholesterol: High cholesterol level may cause infertility problems in women, according to some studies.

Weight: Obesity and weight loss can lead to infertility among both men and women.

Sexually Transmitted Infections: Sexually transmitted diseases like Chlamydia and HIV can cause infertility in women.

Age: The ability to conceive among women starts to fall around the age of 32 years. This may lead to infertility.

Smoking and Alcohol: Any level of smoking or alcohol consumption may lead to infertility. Smoking during pregnancy can lead to pregnancy loss. Even passive smoking has been linked with low fertility levels.

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Miscarriage is one of the least talked about issue when it comes to pregnancy. It is one of the most prevalent factors that affects pregnancy adversely, but most people often tend to ignore it.

What is Miscarriage?

Miscarriage or spontaneous abortion is when the fetus dies inside the body of the mother within the first 20 weeks of pregnancy. It is the most common type of pregnancy loss. Data from American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) shows that about 15% to 20% of pregnancies end in miscarriage.

Another important point to be noted is that 80% of miscarriage cases occur in the first trimester i.e. during the first three months. This is one of the reasons why women tend to wait up until the 13th week before they announce their pregnancy.

Many women blame themselves for miscarriage. They believe that their own behavior among other things are the reasons that lead to miscarriage. But the fact remains that none of those are the reasons for a miscarriage and there is nothing one could do to prevent it.

Common factors leading to miscarriage

Hormonal Imbalance: Around 15% of miscarriage occur due to hormonal imbalance such as low level of progesterone which halts fertilised egg from being implanted in your uterus.

Chromosomes: The sperm and egg each bring 23 pairs of chromosomes to form 23 perfectly matched pairs of chromosomes. Any problem caused in this process would certainly result in miscarriage.

Chronic illness: Chronic illness like heart diseases, kidney or liver problems etc. can cause 6% of recurring miscarriage.

High Fever: If one has more than 102 degree body temperature during the early stages of pregnancy, it is most likely to lead to miscarriage. A high body temperature is harmful to the fetus before the first six weeks.

Drugs: If you consume any kind of drug it can affect the fetus and cause a miscarriage.

Smoking and Excessive Drinking: Just like drugs, even smoking and excessive consumption of alcohol may cause miscarriage.