Infertility
is the failure of a couple to get pregnant after 12-15 months
of trying. This appertains to young couples between
20-35 years but women over 35 who fail to conceive over
a period of six months are also considered infertile. It
is important to understand that infertility is a
reproduction system failure and not a disease.
Sometimes, there is no definite reason for the couple’s
infertility and this has been put down to stress caused
by lifestyle, career or, ironically, anxiety over not
being able to conceive. It can, most times, be taken
care of medically.
One
of the biggest myths is that only women are infertile.
This myth, of course, has been propounded by society
which immediately assumes the problem is the woman.
Unfortunately, many men have issues accepting the
problem might be with them and refuse to get tested. The
fact is men and women share a third each of infertility
cases while the remaining third consists of problems
experienced by both partners or it could be unexplained
infertility. The problem is also not limited to just
unhealthy men and women. Even healthy couples can
experience infertility if they lead a stressful and
degenerative lifestyle.
Types
of infertility
There
are three types of infertility that couples can
face:
primary infertility where the woman has never
been able to conceive; secondary infertility where a
woman who has had a successful pregnancy finds it
difficult to get pregnant a second time; and women who
have recurrent miscarriages. Miscarriages are common but
a woman who has two or three consecutive ones is
considered infertile.
Causes
and solutions of infertility
Ovulation
and quality of egg
— Polycystic ovary syndrome, or PCOS, causes an
imbalance of the female sex hormones which consist of
estrogen and progesterone and small amounts of a male
hormone called androgen. An imbalance in production
affects the menstrual cycle and can cause the formation
of cysts which hinder conception. PCOS occurs when too
much androgen is produced while production of estrogen
and progesterone falls. This causes women to have
irregular or absent periods which either disrupts
ovulation or results in poor egg quality.
Treatment
— This can be treated by therapy which includes hormone
injections, oral medication and creams. Other options
include in-vitro fertilization (IVF), artificial
insemination and donor eggs.
Blocked
fallopian tubes
— The fallopian tubes allow the eggs to pass from the
ovaries to the uterus. Pelvic inflammatory disease, scar
tissue in the tubes and ovary and damaged tube-ends
obstruct the egg’s journey to the uterus. Despite
regular ovulation, blockages will prevent conception
because if the egg cannot get to the uterus, the sperm
cannot fertilize it.
Treatment
— Most women go in for IVF but some opt for surgery. A
small blockage can be corrected by open tubal or
key-hole surgery. However, if the woman has suffered
from chlamydia, damage may be extensive and surgery will
be of no use. Most times chlamydia occurs along with
gonorrhea and needs to be treated by antibiotics. As it
an STD, both partners need to be treated.
Male
related problems
— The reason for a woman not being able to conceive can
also lie with the man. Male infertility can be caused by
a blockage in the epididymis which are the tubes that
store and carry sperm from the testicles, or the vas
deferens which are the tubes that help take the sperm
from the epididymis so that it can pass out of the
penis. Other reasons are low sperm count and motility,
poor quality of sperm and absence of or low semen
production.
Treatment
— Men can opt for surgery to remove blockages or
fertility drugs to boost production of sperm. The man’s
sperm can also be used to artificially inseminate the
woman via intrauterine insemination (IUI). Another
option is intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), by
which a single sperm is introduced directly into the
egg. Donor sperm is another option.
Surgery and fertility drugs can help alleviate the problem but only in the short term. Many couples who want to get pregnant now turn to the holistic approach which focuses on natural techniques that help the body self-heal, mentally, physically and spiritually, and gets to the core of the problem to eliminate it. The holistic way shows couples how to develop a healthy lifestyle, offers advice on balanced diets high in iron, protein, vitamins and folic acid, Chinese herbal remedies and acupuncture as well as yoga to lower stress. The holistic approach is the best solution to infertility as research shows that many couples have got pregnant within three or four months after years of trying.
