Infertility Causes – Sex, Age & Lifestyle Factors

Symptoms from Infertility – Definitions

When a couple is unsuccessful at having a baby after 12 months of unprotected, regular intercourse, they are considered infertile. Infertility is the incapacity to procreate.

Couples have different reactions to the news of being infertile. The news can be particularly hard on couples that are without children.

Infertile couples who’ve never had children are classified under primary infertility.

On another note, secondary infertility refers to the condition where couples who already succeeded in having a baby are finding problems conceiving again.

Maleness

Several emotional and physical factors can cause infertility.

Infertility cases in men, like low sperm count, retrograde ejaculation, scarring from sexually transmitted diseases, hormone deficiency, and impotence, make up approximately 30-40% of cases.

Intake of prescription drugs like nitrofurantoin, cimetidine and spironolactone and even frequent marijuana use can negatively affect sperm count.

The Woman Factor

Scarring from STDs, hormonal imbalances, ovulation dysfunction, endometriosis, ovarian cysts, poor nutrition, pelvic infection, tumors, and fallopian tube abnormality are examples of “female factors.” These make up between 40 and 50 % of infertility problems among couples.

Factors from both male and female, including other unknown causes, make up 10 to 30% of infertility cases.

It has been found that a small number, just 10 to 20%, of couples fail to conceive after trying for a year. It is essential for couples to keep trying to conceive for a year at the very least.

Age Sensitive Causes

Couples who are healthy, are below 30 years old, and have intercourse frequently have just a 25 to 30 per cent chance a month of conceiving. A woman’s fertility peak is during her 20s. The likelihood of pregnancy for women above 35 years old is less than 10% each month, even less for those beyond 40 years old.

More Non Age Related Causes

Age-related factors are not the only causes of infertility. Infertility may also be increased due to the following:

* Having had sex with more than one partner
* Sexually transmitted infections
* Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) history
* History of epididymitis or orchitis in men
* Men who’ve suffered mumps before
* Varicocele in males
* A history that includes exposure to DES
* Eating problems among females
* Anovulatory and irregular menstrual cycles
* Endometriosis
* Defects of the uterus (myomas) or blockage of the cervix
* Long-term disease like diabetes

Other Useful Information

Click here to know more on how to increase pregnancy chances .

Check this out to learn more about infertility insurance coverage .

Infertility – Sex, Age and Lifestyle Factors

Symptoms from Infertility – Definitions

A couple is infertile when they are unable to have a baby after 12 months of regular and unprotected intercourse. Infertility is the inability to have a baby.

One or both partners have varying emotional reactions when they are diagnosed as infertile. Extreme reactions often come from couples who are childless.

Couple who are infertile and who’ve never had a baby are classified under primary infertility.

On another note, secondary infertility refers to the condition where couples who already succeeded in having a baby are finding problems conceiving again.

Maleness

A number of factors, both physical and emotional, can trigger infertility.

Male-exclusive factors such as low sperm count, retrograde ejaculation, scarring from sexually transmitted diseases, hormone deficiency, and impotence, make up around 30-40% of infertility cases.

Intake of prescription drugs like nitrofurantoin, cimetidine and spironolactone and even frequent marijuana use can negatively affect sperm count.

The Female Factor

Scarring from STDs, hormonal imbalances, ovulation dysfunction, endometriosis, ovarian cysts, poor nutrition, pelvic infection, tumors, and fallopian tube abnormality are examples of “female factors.” These are the primary causes of 40 to 50 per cent of infertility cases.

Around 10 to 30% of infertility cases are attributed to risk factors from both male and female and other unknown causes.

It is estimated that just 10 to 20% of couples fail to conceive after a year. It is essential for couples to keep trying to conceive for a year at the very least.

Age Influenced Factors

Couples who are healthy, are below 30 years old, and have intercourse frequently have just a 25 to 30 per cent chance a month of conceiving. A woman is most fertile when she’s in her 20s. The success rate for women aged 35 and over is less than 10%, and this even much lower for those older than 40.

Other Causes Not Age Related

Age-related factors are not the only causes of infertility. Infertility may also be worsened by the following:

* Multiple sex partners (increases risk for STD)
* Sexually transmitted diseases
* History of pelvic inflammatory disease
* Men with epididymitis or orchitis history
* Mumps among men
* Vein engorgement in the scrotum
* Health history citing DES exposure (both sexes)
* Eating disorders among women
* Anovulation and irregular menstruation
* Endometriosis
* Problems with the uterus or the cervix
* Long-term disease like diabetes

Other Useful Information

Click this to read more on how to increase your chances of pregnancy .

Go here to learn more about insurance coverage for infertility .

The Birth Control Shot is a Contraceptive Method Injected Intramuscularly

An easy to administrate contraceptive solution, the birth control shot makes a good choice for lots of couples all over the world. It contains progesterone only, with the hormone being slowly released into the body. The main impact of this hormone is to prevent ovulation, meaning that there will be no egg release monthly.

The efficiency range of the birth control shot is superior to that of the birth control pill. While with the pill, 8 in 100 couples get pregnant yearly, the rate is only 3 in 100 per year in the case of the birth control shot. The chances of getting pregnant are very high if you don’t administer the next shot on time.

You should also be aware of the fact that the birth control shot does not provide protection against STD. Plus, there are physiological changes that could be an inconvenience while using this birth control method. Normally included in the list of adverse reactions, you could be experiencing:
-irregular menstrual periods;
-headaches, breast tenderness and weight gain;
-mood changes and depression.

Overweight is the most difficult to fight back if it appears as a side effect, because hormonal imbalances are harder to correct. Other long-term side effects have been reported in relation to the use of the progesterone birth control shot. Thus, many women have developed osteoporosis by losing in bone density during the treatment.

In case you decide that the birth control shot is a good option for you, talk to your health care provider and make sure that your daily calcium intake is enough to support the hormonal treatment without loss of bone density. Moreover, fertility may be harder to recover after the long term use of the birth control shot. The fertility problem is not permanent, and women can recover in time, but difficulties could appear along the way.

Your doctor could also warn you about other potential problems and even advise against the shot in case she/he suspects an existing health condition. You should not administer it if you suffer from any of the following:

-headaches;
-disorders with blood coagulation;
-unexplained vaginal bleeding;
-thrombosis;
-cancer;
-if you suspect a pregnancy.

As for costs, the birth control shot is not expensive, not to mention that health insurance usually covers the expenses. The best advice you can get related to the shot is at your doctor’s office.

Last but not least, when using some other drugs or herbal supplements, it is important to rely on a supplementary birth control method because the risk of interferences leaves you unprotected against pregnancy.