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Baby-Making: Infertility Reasons

Baby-Making: Infertility Reasons

Globally, 8 to 12 percent of couples experience infertility problems. So what is infertility? Infertility can be described as not having a baby naturally. In other words, infertility is defined as not getting pregnant after 12 months of regular sexual intercourse without any methods of contraception. In order to be able to say that there is a medical infertility problem, the couples under the age of 35 should have had at least one year, and those over the age of 35 should have had sexual intercourse without any methods of contraception for about 6 months.
 

Young Couples Should Not Panic!
 

In general, for young couples, it would be better not to act too hastily. If the age of the couple is around 25, it is suggested to wait for a few years to start an infertility treatment. However, for the patients at their 30s, infertility tests can be done depending on the cases.


What Can Be the Reasons for Infertility in Men?
 

There may be many reasons why men experience fertility. Below you may see the most common reasons for infertility in men:

  • If a man has had diseases such as chlamydia, gonorrhea, mumps,
  • If a man has HIV,
  • If a man has abnormal sperm production or abnormal sperm function due to testicles, genetic disorders, diabetes,
  • If his testes have enlarged blood vessels, this situation can also affect the quality of sperm.
  • If a man experiences premature ejaculation or has some genetic diseases such as cystic fibrosis
  • If a man has structural problems such as blockade in the testicle or has a damage to the reproductive organs
  • If a man is exposed to radiation, pesticides and other chemicals
  • If a man takes medicines regularly such as antibiotics, antihypertensives
  • If a man smokes heavily or drinks too much alcohol
  • If a man is exposed to high heat, such as in saunas or hot tubs, sperm production may be affected.
  • If a man has had cancer, cancer treatment or chemotherapy, all these seriously disrupt sperm production.
     

What Can Be the Reasons for Infertility in Women?
 

There may be many reasons why women experience fertility. Below you may see the most common reasons for infertility in women:

  • If a woman has ovulation disorders that affect the release of eggs from the ovaries,
  • If a woman has hormonal disorders such as polycystic ovary syndrome,
  • If a woman has hyperprolactinemia – a hormonal disorder that stimulates the production of breast milk,
  • If a woman has too much thyroid hormone (hyperthyroidism) or too little (hypothyroidism), these situations also can affect the menstrual cycle or cause infertility.
  • If a woman does excessive exercise,
  • If a woman has eating disorders such as obesity, anorexia, bulimia, pica, night eating,
  • If a woman has had cancer, cancer treatment or chemotherapy, all these seriously affect fertility,
  • If a woman has abnormalities with the cervix or uterus
  • If a woman has uterine fibroids, namely noncancerous tumor of the uterus, they may block the fallopian tubes and rarely cause infertility. More often, these uterine fibroids prevent implantation of the fertilized egg.
  • If a woman experiences primary ovarian insufficiency, also known as early menopause, ovaries stop working and menstruation ends before the age of 40 years. Early menopause is one of the reasons for woman infertility.
  • If a woman has genetic conditions such as Turner syndrome or Fragile X syndrome, they lead to woman infertility.
  • If a woman smokes heavily or drinks too much alcohol,
  • If a woman has had abdominal or pelvic surgery, or if a woman had had pelvic adhesions or pelvic infection,
  • Fallopian tube damage or fallopian tube obstruction often occurs as a result of inflammation of the fallopian tube (salpingitis). Salpingitis can usually be caused by a sexually transmitted infection.