Causes and Treatment of Infertility in Men and Women

If you are having problems conceiving, you are not alone; around one in seven couples has difficulty.

Infertility is often thought of as a female concern, but in fact in a third of the cases, it is because of male problems, such as a low sperm count.

Male infertility is a condition wherein a man is unable to cause a successful pregnancy in a perfectly fertile woman. Male infertility usually stems from deficiencies in the semen (relating to poor sperm count or low sperm motility).

On the other hand, female infertility is as a condition wherein a woman is unable to carry a pregnancy to full term or conceive after an entire year of having unprotected sexual intercourse.

What causes infertility?

Causes of Male Infertility:

1. Blockage or obstruction either in the production of sperm or its motility leads to infertility. This problem is caused by various factors such as prostate infections or vasectomy (a surgical procedure used for birth control in men).

2. Difficulty in the production of sperm, either due to genetic or chromosomal causes, can lead to this condition. Damage to the testes or the condition of undescended testes can also result in this disorder.

3. Hormonal problems caused due to anabolic steroid (a synthetic steroidal hormone with effects similar to those of testosterone) abuse or pituitary tumors (tumors of the endocrine gland) are other factors responsible for male infertility.

Other factors that may play a part in infertility include:

1. having had inflamed testes (orchitis)

2. a past bacterial infection that caused scarring and blocked tubes within the epididymis as it joins the vas

3. having received medical treatment such as drug treatment, radiotherapy or surgery – for example to correct a hernia, undescended testes or twisted testicles

4. genetic problems

5. diabetes

6. lifestyle factors such as being overweight or having a job that involves contact with chemicals or radiation.

7. Male fertility is also thought to decline with age, although to what extent is unclear.

Causes of Female Infertility:

1. Ovulation disorders: Ovulation disorders account for about 25% cases of female infertility. This happens either because of under-secretion or other problems in the secretion of the reproductive hormone by the pituitary gland.

2. Tubal infertility: The fallopian tubes allow the eggs to travel from ovaries to the uterus. Any blockage or obstruction of these tubes results in infertility, owing do the fact that the eggs or the ova do not reach the uterus. Certain factors such as pelvic inflammation (infections of the uterus) can result in the blockage of the fallopian tubes.

Other factors that may play a part include:

1. age – female fertility declines sharply after the age of 35

2. Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)

3. gynaecological problems such as previous ectopic pregnancy or having had more than one miscarriage

4. medical conditions such as diabetes, epilepsy, and thyroid and bowel diseases

5. lifestyle factors such as stress, being overweight or underweight, and smoking.

Treatment Methods for Males:

1. Surgery can correct blockage or obstruction in the testes.

2. Gonadotropin treatment is a treatment method to develop sperm production. This includes injectable medicines which comprise of both the hormones, Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH). This mode of treatment has been found to improve sperm motility, morphology and count.

3. Varicocele treatment method is the enlargement of a varicose vein (swollen or twisted vein) in the scrotum (testicles). The objective of this treatment is to correct abnormal sperm shape.

Treatment Methods for Females:

1. Fertility stimulating drugs: Fertility restoring drugs are known to induce ovulation in women who have ovulation disorders. They tend to work like hormone stimulators such as the luteinizing hormone and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) which trigger ovulation.

2. Surgical process: There are surgical treatment methods available to boost female fertility. Laparoscopic surgery is a minimally invasive surgery that reduces or corrects abnormalities related to pregnancy.

In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!