Infertility, what is it? Causes for men and women + treatments

Infertility, what is it? Causes for men and women + treatments

Infertility can occur due to problems with formation, genetics, ovulation disorders, endometriosis and immunological problems, for example.

Although little is heard about infertility, the problem generates great concern for thousands of people. According to the WHO (World Health Organization), 15% of the world’s population suffers from the problem. For those who don’t know yet, being infertile means not being able to get pregnant.

Infertility can occur for a variety of reasons, such as, for example, problems with formation, genetics, ovulation disorders and diseases such as endometriosis and immunological problems.

However, being infertile should not be a reason to give up on the dream of having children, as through medicine, it is possible to invest in treatments. Therefore, check out all the information below about what it is, the causes and treatments for infertility.

What is infertility?

Being infertile, despite what many people think, is not completely losing 100% of your chances of pregnancy. Infertility is defined as the absence of pregnancy after 12 months of regular sexual intercourse, without using any contraceptive method.

Therefore, after 1 year of not being able to get pregnant, the couple should seek help from a professional. Of course, the evaluation can be done in a shorter period of time. For example, women over 35 should seek help after 6 months of trying.

There are two types of infertility, namely: primary, when there is no previous pregnancy; secondary, if there has already been a pregnancy.

Causes

The causes of infertility are diverse, for both men and women. Among them, for example, is trying to get pregnant after a certain age, since, as you get older, the female and male gametes become incapable of generating a pregnancy.

However, we have listed below the possible factors that can cause infertility in women and men.

Women:

Women who do not ovulate properly or have irregular periods may suffer from infertility. These characteristics may be linked to diseases such as, for example, Polycystic Ovary Syndrome and Endometriosis.

However, other diseases can also be a risk factor, such as tumors, hypothyroidism, and rare enzyme deficiencies.

Men:

For men, the main cause of infertility is the malfunction of the reproductive system in producing and transporting sperm. Therefore, if there are changes in this process, the patient may be considered infertile.

The main factors that cause this problem are: varicocele, hormonal changes, infections, exposure to toxins, genetics and obstruction of the transport ducts.

Infertility treatments

In summary, the main treatments for infertility are:

• In Vitro Fertilization (IVF);
• Scheduled sexual intercourse (Scheduled coitus);
• Intrauterine insemination;
• Ovulation induction;
• Intratubal transfer of gametes;
• ICSI (intracytoplasmic sperm injection).

Furthermore, according to the American Society of Reproductive Medicine, there are other factors that can help with infertility treatment, such as: not trying to get pregnant late, preventing sexually transmitted diseases, avoiding being underweight or obese and, finally, not doing the use of cigarettes.

So, what did you think about our article on infertility? Take the opportunity to also check out: What is the function of the ovaries? What they are and their main characteristics.

Sources: Gineco, Gineco 2, Procreate, Minha Vida.
Image sources: But Fert, Kindness, Mater Prime, WTop.