Two typical ways to define infertility in women.
- When after a year of regular sexual intercourse without contraception pregnancy does not occur.
- Repeated miscarriages and ectopic pregnancies.
Individual female factors account for 30%, individual male factors for another 30%, the combinations contribute to an additional 20% and the cause of the remaining 20% remains unknown.
Coping with infertility requires accurate diagnosis as well as the discipline to follow treatment rules.
Why knowing the cause is important?
Beginning with infertility with the goal of becoming pregnant is a road map. The challenges are the obstacles on that road. You need to overcome some challenges and go over, under and around others.
Without knowing the location and the nature of the challenge you may drive straight into a challenge that you need to go around.
Infertility is frustrating enough, you don’t need to add to your frustration by choosing a wrong road.
Identifying the root cause includes identifying your challenges and the treatments.
Below are some of the typical causes of infertility in females:
Anovulation: Problems with ovulation including hormonal imbalance, polycystic ovaries suffer from a decreased secretion of FSH and increased secretion of LH and testosterone, malfunctioning of the hypothalamus, damaged ovaries, premature menopause and follicular problems examples of anovulation.
Fallopian tubes: Both viral and bacterial infections could cause malfunction in fallopian tubes. Appendicitis and colitis also could block fallopian tubes as well as surgical damage.
Ectopic pregnancy, occurring within the tubes is potentially life threatening condition that also cause damage.
Birth defects are rare but they could be part of in fallopian tubes malfunction.
Drugs: Smoking, alcoholic drinks and other drugs reduce the chances of becoming pregnant.
Immune system problems: Immune system could create antibodies that attack and destroy sperms. Excessive natural immune system killer cells could damage the embryo. Inflammatory antinuclear antibodies could cause uterus inflammation.
According to Lisa Olson, the author of, Pregnancy Miracle, infertility causes are many but they could be treated using infertility treatments for women that are holistic, multi-disciplinary and comprehensive.
