What is infertility ?

In general, infertility is defined as not being able to get pregnant (conceive) after one year (or longer) of unprotected sex. Because fertility in women is known to decline steadily with age, some providers evaluate and treat women aged 35 years or older after 6 months of unprotected sex. Women with infertility should consider making an appointment with a reproductive endocrinologistóa doctor who specializes in managing infertility. Reproductive endocrinologists may also be able to help women with recurrent pregnancy loss, defined as having two or more spontaneous miscarriages.

Pregnancy is the result of a process that has many steps. To get pregnant: A woman’s body must release an egg from one of her ovaries-external icon. A man’s sperm must join with the egg along the way (fertilize). The fertilized egg must go through a fallopianexternal icon toward the uterusexternal icon (womb). The embryo must attach to the inside of the uterus (implantation). Infertility may result from a problem with any or several of these steps.

Impaired fecundity is a condition related to infertility and refers to women who have difficulty getting pregnant or carrying a pregnancy to term.

Is fertility always a woman problem ?

No, infertility is not always a woman’s problem. Both men and women can contribute to infertility. What increases the risk of infertility in women?

Female fertility is known to decline with About 1 in 5 (22%) couples in which the woman is 30-39 have problems conceiving their first child, compared to about 1 in 8 (13%) couples in which the woman is younger than 30. Fertility declines with age primarily because egg quality declines over time. In addition, older women have fewer eggs left and they are more likely to have health conditions that can cause fertility problems. Aging also increases a woman’s chances of miscarriage-external icon-and of having a child with a genetic abnormality.

– Smoking.

– Excessive alcohol use.

– People with overweight or obesity or underweight.

– Extreme weight gain or loss.

– Excessive physical or emotional stress that results in amenorrhea (absent periods)

What is semen analysis ?

Infertility in men can be caused by different factors and is typically evaluated by a semen analysis. When a semen analysis is performed, the number of sperm (concentration), motility (movement), and morphology (shape) are assessed by a specialist. A slightly abnormal semen analysis does not mean that a man is necessarily infertile. Instead, a semen analysis helps determine if and how male factors are contributing to infertility.