Causes of Infertility

Infertility means not being able to get pregnant after one year of trying (or six months if women are 35 years or older). Women who can get pregnant but are unable to stay pregnant also need to be evaluated.

Pregnancy is the result of a process that has many steps. To get pregnant:

• A women‘s body must release an egg from one of her ovaries (ovulation).
• The egg must go through the fallopian tube towards the uterus (womb)
• A man’s sperm must join with (fertilize) the egg along the way.
• The fertilized egg must attach to the inside of the uterus (implantation)

Infertility can happen if there are problems with any of these steps.

Causes of Female Infertility

Most cases of female infertility are caused by problems with ovulation. Without ovulation, there are no eggs to be fertilized. Signs of a woman not ovulating normally include irregular or absent menstrual periods.

Ovulation problems are often caused by polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). PCOS is a hormonal imbalance that interferes with normal ovulation. Primary ovarian insufficiency (POI) is another cause of ovulation problems POI occurs when a women’s ovaries stop working normally before she is 40.

Less common causes of infertility in women are:

• Blocked fallopian tubes due to pelvic Inflammatory disease, endometriosis, or surgery for an ectopic pregnancy or pelvic treatments.
• Physical problems with the uterus like uterine fibroids which are non-cancerous clumps of tissues and muscle on the walls of the uterus.

Causes of Infertility in Men

In some couples, a condition that might affect fertility is found in the male partner. The most common reason for male infertility is a problem with sperm, due to an unknown cause. The sperm may be reduced in number, less able to swim forward(less motile), and/or be abnormal in their form.

There are various factors that may affect sperm production and male infertility. These include:

• Current or past infection of the testicles (Eg. Mumps).
• Current or past infections of another part of the sperm-producing system, such as Gonorrhea or other sexually transmitted infections.
• Tumors of the testicles.
• Testicles that have not dropped (descended) properly.
• Side effects of some medicines and street drugs. These include Sulfasalazine, Nitrofurantoin, Tetracyclines, Cimetidine, Colchicine, and Allopurinol, Some Chemotherapy drugs, Cannabis, Cocaine, and Anabolic steroid.
• Scarring from previous operations (Such as an inguinal Hernia repair) may block the ducts which carry sperm, and affect fertility.
• A varicocele may possibly affect male fertility.
• Certain Hormonal problems (Eg. Problems with the pituitary gland in the brain leading to conditions such as Cushing’s syndrome or Hyperprolactinaeima).
• Some inherited conditions due to abnormal genes may affect the development and functions of the testicles. Eg: Conditions known as Klinefelter’s syndrome and Kallman’s syndrome.
• Being overweight may reduce fertility in Men.