Do you know that one in seven couples have difficulties conceiving a baby? It may feel impossible to deal with fertility concerns or having difficulty getting pregnant for many women. Infertility and miscarriage can feel worse and hard to bear. If you have a strong desire to conceive a baby but have fertility problems, too, understanding the cause of your infertility can help you seek a treatment plan to achieve pregnancy.
[H2] What Are Infertility Concerns?
Fertility concerns are known as fertility problems, infertility, or subfertility. Infertility is defined as the inability to get pregnant after a year of trying. Fertility is diagnosed when you cannot conceive a baby even after months of having regular sex without any contraception. Both men and women can have pregnancy problems too. About one-third of cases of infertility are caused by female infertility, says the Office on Women’s Health.
There are two types of infertility: primary infertility and secondary infertility. Primary infertility is when a woman has never been able to get pregnant and secondary infertility is when a woman has had at least one successful pregnancy in the past [1].
[H2] Miscarriage Due to Fertility Problems:
Some women conceive after fertility treatment and/or many years of trying and then have a miscarriage. Having a miscarriage can feel worse than not getting pregnant because the happiness of pregnancy changes to the distress of loss.
Similarly, some women experience fertility concerns after a miscarriage because, after miscarriage, the chances of getting pregnant become low [2].
[H2] What Are the Causes Of Fertility Problems?
Fertility problems can be the result of many causes, but it is difficult to understand the exact cause because some couples may also have “unexplained infertility.” However, some possible causes of fertility concerns include:
- Problems with egg number and quality
- Problems with ovulation
- Age
- Endometriosis
- Premature ovarian insufficiency
- Fallopian tube problems
- Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)
[H2] Can Lifestyle Be the Cause Of Fertility Concerns?
Your lifestyle choices can have a significant effect on your fertility. Below are some lifestyle tips for improving fertility:
- Maintain a healthy body weight
- Stay away from illicit drugs
- Limit your coffee intake to <200 mg a day.
- Quit smoking because smoking can affect egg quality.
- Stay active.
- Cut down on alcohol.
[H2] Getting Help with Fertility:
Fertility concerns arise when a couple does not manage to get pregnant even after years of trying. You should schedule an appointment with your GP if:
- You have irregular or no periods.
- You have known fertility issues, such as PCOS or endometriosis.
- If your partner has a low sperm count.
- You are over 36.
[H2] Fertility Tests and Treatment:
There are certain fertility tests that a couple may be recommended:
[H3] 1. Tests For Men:
Semen tests are recommended to assess the quality and quantity of sperm.
[H3] 2. Tests For Women:
- An examination to see if the fallopian tubes are blocked.
- Tests to see how your ovaries respond to fertility drugs.
- Blood tests for checking hormone levels.
Treatment options include surgeries (in case of growths in the reproductive organs), drugs to improve ovulation, and assisted conception, including in-vitro fertilization (IVF) [3].
[H2] FAQs:
[H3] 1. How is infertility diagnosed in a woman?
Basal body temperature charting (BBT), female endocrinology tests, ultrasonography, endometrial biopsy, and testing the health of the ovaries can diagnose infertility or any fertility problems.
[H3] 2. Can sperm cause miscarriage?
Research has now shown that there is a high risk of miscarriage associated with high levels of sperm DNA fragmentation.
References:
- Davari Tanha F, Mohseni M, Ghajarzadeh M. Sexual function in women with primary and secondary infertility in comparison with controls. Int J Impot Res 2014;26:132–4. doi.org
- Ockhuijsen HDL, van den Hoogen A, Boivin J, Macklon NS, de Boer F. Pregnancy After Miscarriage: Balancing Between Loss of Control and Searching for Control. Res Nurs Health 2014;37:267–75. doi.org
- Fertility: Assessment and Treatment for People with Fertility Problems - PubMed n.d. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25340218/