Causes of Infertility in Men and Women

Infertility refers to an inability to conceive after having regular unprotected sex. Infertility can also refer to the biological inability of an individual to contribute to conception, or to a female who cannot carry a pregnancy to full term. In many countries infertility refers to a couple that has failed to conceive after 12 months of regular sexual intercourse without the use of contraception.

Studies indicate that slightly over half of all cases of infertility are a result of female conditions, while the rest are caused by either sperm disorders or unidentified factors.

Study shows that:

• About 20% of cases of infertility are due to a problem in the man.
• About 40% to 50% of cases of infertility are due to a problem in the woman.
• About 30% to 40% of cases of infertility are due to problems in both the man and the woman.

Many cases of apparent infertility are treatable. Infertility may have a single cause in one of the partners, or it could be the result of a combination of factors.

Risk factors of infertility

In medicine, a risk factor is something that raises the risk of developing a condition, disease or symptom. For example, obese people are more likely to develop diabetes type 2 compared to people of normal weight; therefore, obesity is a risk factor for diabetes type 2.

Age – a woman’s fertility starts to drop after she is about 32 years old, and continues doing so. A 50-year-old man is usually less fertile than a man in his 20s (male fertility progressively drops after the age of 40).

Smoking – smoking significantly increases the risk of infertility in both men and women. Smoking may also undermine the effects of fertility treatment. Even when a woman gets pregnant, if she smokes she has a greater risk of miscarriage.

Alcohol consumption – a woman’s pregnancy can be seriously affected by any amount of alcohol consumption. Alcohol abuse may lower male fertility. Moderate alcohol consumption has not been shown to lower fertility in most men, but is thought to lower fertility in men who already have a low sperm count.

Eating disorders – women who become seriously underweight as a result of an eating disorder may have fertility problems.

Being vegan – if you are a strict vegan you must make sure your intake of iron, folic acid, zinc and vitamin B-12 are adequate, otherwise your fertility may become affected.

Over-exercising – a woman who exercises for more than seven hours each week may have ovulation problems.

Not exercising – leading a sedentary lifestyle is sometimes linked to lower fertility in both men and women.

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) – chlamydia can damage the fallopian tubes, as well as making the man’s scrotum become inflamed. Some other STIs may also cause infertility.

Exposure to some chemicals – some pesticides, herbicides, metals (lead) and solvents have been linked to fertility problems in both men and women.

Mental stress – studies indicate that female ovulation and sperm production may be affected by mental stress. If at least one partner is stressed it is possible that the frequency of sexual intercourse is less, resulting in a lower chance of conception.

How to prevent yourself from STDs

STD Prevention

The only way to absolutely prevent ever having a sexually transmitted diseases is to not have sex (abstinence) or to only have sex with one partner who doesn’t already have an STD and who isn’t having sex with anyone else (a mutually monogamous relationship).

If you have more than one sex partner or if you’re at all uncertain about whether your sex partner is having sex with anyone else, you may be at risk of catching an STD. The risk increases with the number of sex partners you have. Some people may be offended by a discussion of protective measures for STDs. But many people are at risk, and it’s important to understand which sexual practices can put you and others at risk and how you can reduce that risk.

You can help lower your risk of catching an STD by practicing the following suggestions, known as “safer sex”. Keep in mind that these tips aren’t guaranteed to protect you and that the only “safe” options are to choose abstinence or to stay in a mutually monogamous relationship.

1. Know your sex partner very well. Tell your partner if you have an STD and ask if he or she has one. Talk about if you’ve both been tested for and if you should be tested again.
2. Look for signs of an STD in your partner. For example, sores around the penis or vagina can indicate a STD. Keep in mind that a person with an STD doesn’t always know he or she has an infection.
3. Always use a latex condom when you have sex, including oral and anal sex, if you’re all uncertain about whether your sex partner has an STD or is having sex with anyone else. A condom blocks and protects the skin. Condoms reduce the risk of passing or catching an STD but don’t eliminate the risk. That’s because condoms don’t protect all of your skin in the genital area, and sometimes they can break. Condoms shouldn’t provide a sense of total security because that might lead to risky sexual activity.

Sexually Transmitted Diseases And Their Symptoms

Sexually Transmitted Disease: Chlamydia

• Discharge from the penis in men
• Vaginal discharge in women
• Abdominal pain in women
• Painful urination
• Frequent urination

The most common STD in the society today, which is caused by organisms called Chlamydia trachomatis. This infection is easily spread because it often causes no symptoms and may be unknowingly passed to sexual partners. Up to one in two men and one in four women with Chlamydia don’t have any symptoms.

When symptoms occur, men may have small amounts of clear or cloudy discharge from the tip of the penis and painful urination within three weeks after becoming infected. Women may have a vaginal discharge, irregular periods, abdominal pain with fever and painful sexual intercourse.

If untreated, chlamydial infections can damage the delicate fallopian tubes, causing pelvic inflammatory disease or infertility, and increase the risk of ectopic pregnancy. Chlamydial may be passed along from the mother to her infant during childbirth, causing a minor eye infection or pneumonia in the infant.

Both men and women, particularly in the tropics may suffer from lymphogranuloma venereum (LGV) as a result of the chlamydial infection. This condition causes blisters or ulcers on the genital and causes lymph nodes in the groin to swell. The blisters may form abscesses. There are several different tests your doctor can use to check for Chlamydia. He or she will probably take a sample from the cervix in women. Your doctor may also check for gonorrhea below, another STD. Some people with chlamydial also have gonorrhea.

Oral antibiotics, such as doxycycline or erythromycin, should be taken by both partners if Chlamydia is diagnosed in either partner. Women with severe infections may require hospitalization, intravenous antibiotics and analgesic medicine.

Sexually Transmitted Disease: Genital Herpes

• Painful sores and blisters on the genitals

This infection is caused by the herpes simplex virus, which is also responsible for cold sores. It results in painful sores and blisters on the genitals that disappear and then return. When a rash appears, it may be accompanied by headache, fever, enlarged lymph nodes in the groin and a feeling of being sick.

Unfortunately, you may be infectious even when no blisters or sores are visible or when you don’t have symptoms. Women with genital herpes should have Pap smears every year or two to check for cervical cancer. The risk of cervical cancer may be increased by genital herpes.

 

Sexually Transmitted Disease: Genital Warts

• Small wart-like bumps on the genitals or anal region

Warts are caused by viruses and can appear anywhere on the body. Those that show up in the genital area are caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV) and are known as genital, or venereal, warts.

They may form on the penis, the labia, vaginal walls or cervix or around the anal region. They aren’t always visible. The virus that causes genital warts can be easily spread through sexual contact. Condoms don’t always prevent infection because they may not cover all affected areas. HPV is now recognized as a significant risk factor in cervical cancer and in cancer of the penis.

Sexually Transmitted Disease: Gonorrhea

• Greenish-yellow discharge from the penis or vagina
• Burning when urinating

Also called the “clap” or “drip”, gonorrhea is caused by a bacterial infection carried by semen and vaginal fluids. Some people have no symptoms, which can delay diagnosis. Women suffer the most serious consequences of untreated disease – they can end up with pelvic inflammatory disease, infertility or a greater risk of ectopic pregnancy.

After a culture from the affected site confirms the diagnosis, oral or injectable antibiotics cure the infection in most cases.

Sexually Transmitted Disease: Syphilis

• A single, painless sore (Chancre) on genitals during the first stage of infection
• Headache
• Fever
• Aches and chills
• Swollen lymph nodes

Syphilis is a bacterial disease that has existed for centuries, but treatment has only been available for the past 50 years. Syphilis has three distinct stages in an untreated person. During the first stage, a painless, open sore, called a chancre, appear on the genitals within a few weeks after infection. Usually just one shows up, although more are possible.

Within six weeks, fever, aches, chils, headache, swollen lymph nodes and usually a rash occur.  The rash may look like grayish spots on the skin and may appear inside the mouth as well. Eventually the rash heals, but the bacteria remain active.

The second stage is called the “latent” period. There may not be any symptoms initially. In this stage the person isn’t infectious, but continued damage occurs. Eventually, the victim may develop symptoms of the third stage of syphilis, which can include brain damage, blindness, paralysis and confusion. The blood vessels may become damaged, allowing aneurysm to form in larger vessels, such as the aorta.

Oral or injected antibiotics destroy the bacteria and cure the disease. If the latent stage is suspected, a blood test can help make the diagnosis. The disease can be cured at any stage but damage can’t be reversed. Early treatment is important to reduce later problems.

About 50% of the people treated for syphilis have a reaction to the toxins released by the bacteria when a antibiotic is used. Symptoms of this reaction, which occur two to seven hours after receiving the antibiotic, include headache, fever, chills, aches, rapid heartbeat and slightly lowered blood pressure.

Sexually Transmitted Disease: Trichomoniasis

• Greenish-yellow, frothy vaginal discharge
• Painful urination
• Vaginal Itching and irritation

Trichomoniasis is caused by small protozoa called Trichomonas vaginalis.  These organisms are especially irritating to the moist membranes of the vagina. Women are the most often affected by this condition, although men can become infected and pass Trichomonas to women through sexual contact. Men frequently have no symptoms and may not know they’re infected until their partners need treatment.

Your doctor can take a sample of vaginal secretions and examine it for Trichomonas. Trichomoniasis is also sometimes diagnosed by a Pap smear.

Both partners need to be treated.

Sexually Transmitted Disease: Urethral Infection

• Discharge from the opening in penis
• Pain and burning sensation during urination

The urethra is the tube through which urine from the bladder passes out of the body. Symptoms of urethral infections, called urethritis, are often less obvious in women. Women may show few, if any, symptoms.

Most urethral infections are sexually related. Chlamydial infection is a common cause, although gonorrhea is also a possible cause. Urethral infections usually aren’t dangerous by themselves, but may lead to scaring and constriction of the urethral if not treated.

Your doctor can take a sample of secretions for a culture or antibody test. These tests can confirm the infection and help your doctor decide which antibiotic to use. If you’re diagnosed with urethritis, tell your partner so he or she can be treated too, even if he or she has no symptoms.

What you should know about sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)

Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) are bacterial, viral or protozoan infections that grow in the sexual secretions or on the skin, generally in the genital area. The infections are passed from an infected person to others through sexual contact. The infections enter the body through the moist membranes of the skin in the genital area.

It’s important to get tested and treated if you suspect you have an STD. If these diseases aren’t treated, they can have serious consequences. Some can cause infertility in woman.  Syphilis can permanently damage the major organs in the body and cause paralysis, insanity and even death. HIV, which can be spread by either homosexual or heterosexual contact, results in AIDs, which is fatal.

Abstinence is the best way to make sure you don’t catch an STD. If you’re sexually active, it’s safest to stay in a one-on-one (monogamous) relationship with someone who doesn’t already have an STD.

If you have more than one sex partner or if you’re not certain about whether your sex partner is having sex with anyone else, you may be at risk of catching an STD. The risk increases with the number of sex partners you have. You can reduce your risk of catching or passing an STDs by practicing what’s known as “Safer Sex”.