Infertility
Infertility is the inability of a couple to achieve pregnancy after a year of trying. In cases where the woman is over 35, it is advisable for the couple to consult a gynaecologist specialising in infertility after six months of trying without success.
Today, one in five couples are infertile. Infertility does not discriminate. It affects both women and men. That is why both partners must take an active part in the process of diagnosis and treatment. Also, to a large extent infertility can be a combination of male and female factors. Finally, it is important to mention the case of unexplained infertility, which affects about 20%-25% of today’s couples. In these couples there is an inability to conceive even though all the parameters are normal (idiopathic).
Informing the couple and making them aware that it is possible to treat any problem with the appropriate treatment is necessary.
If you are thinking about having a child, you have probably wondered if there are ways to boost your fertility. Some factors, such as health problems that affect fertility, are beyond your control. However, adopting a healthy lifestyle can help a couple boost their fertility.
Female infertility
In women, infertility can be caused by:
- Anovulatory conditions (e.g. polycystic ovary syndrome, PCOS), in which the release of the woman’s ovum does not take place, which under normal circumstances occurs in the middle of each cycle
- Blockage of the fallopian tubes usually after inflammation and infections. The meeting of the egg with the sperm and fertilization take place in the fallopian tube and therefore, conditions that affect the normal anatomy or function of the fallopian tubes lead to infertility.
- Endometriosis: is the presence of endometrial cells (endometrium is the inner lining of the uterus) in ectopic locations such as the uterine wall (adenomyosis), ovaries, peritoneum
- Uterine diseases (e.g. fibroids, polyps)
- Increased age of the woman. For the majority of women, fertility (the ability to achieve pregnancy) decreases with age. But this varies from woman to woman.
- Genetic-Chromosomal abnormalities
- Lifestyle-related causes(stress, smoking, alcohol)
Read more:Female Fertility Investigation



Male Infertility
In men, factors that cause alteration in sperm parameters (sperm count, motility and morphology) may explain male infertility.
- Inflammations
- Genetic abnormalities
- Disorders of ejaculation
- Erection problems
- Cryptarchy: In some boys during fetal life one or both testicles fail to descend from the abdomen to the scrotum. It is possible that men who have had cryptorchidism are less fertile.
- Accidents (injury) to the genitals
- Blockage/deficiencies of the seminal ducts. Seminal ducts are the small tubes that carry sperm (spermatozoa)
- Hormonological disorders
- Medication: Testosterone replacement therapy, long-term use of anabolic steroids, chemotherapy, can disrupt the normal production of spermatozoa and reduce a man’s reproductive capacity
- Lifestyle (smoking, alcohol, obesity)
Read more:Male Fertility Investigation
