Infertility means not being able to get pregnant after a year of trying. Women who can get pregnant but are unable to stay pregnant may also be infertile.
For a woman to get pregnant, her body must release an egg from one of the ovaries, the egg then heads to the uterus by going through the fallopian tube, a sperm must fertilise the egg along the way and the fertilised egg must attach to the inside of the uterus. Any problem in any of these processes leads to infertility.
Below are 13 causes of infertility
1. PHYSICAL OR EMOTIONAL STRESS:
Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) are responsible for stimulating ovulation each month. Physical or emotional stress can alter the specific pattern in which they are produced by the pituitary gland resulting in irregular or absent periods.
2. DAMAGED FALLOPIAN TUBES:
When the fallopian tube is damaged, it becomes difficult for the egg to have contact with the sperm. Pelvic infections and pelvic surgeries can lead to damaged fallopian tubes.
3. CERVICAL CAUSES:
Some women may have a cervical condition in which the sperm cannot pass through the cervical canal and this could be due to previous cervical surgery procedure or abnormal mucus production.
4. UNEXPLAINED INFERTILITY:
It’s been estimated that 20% of couples with infertility problems have this problem where the cause of the infertility cannot be determined using available means of investigation.
5. AGE:
Age plays a huge factor in female fertility as the chances of having a baby decreases by 3-5% each year after a woman turns 30.
6. PREMATURE MENOPAUSE:
Some women cease menstruation and begin menopause before the normal age. Reasons given for this problem include extremely athletic women with history of low body weight and extensive exercise and also depletion of natural supply of eggs.
7. PREMATURE OVARIAN INSUFFICIENCY:
This is an order caused by an autoimmune response where your body mistakenly attacks ovarian tissues or by premature loss of eggs from your ovary due to genetic problems.
8. MEDICATION:
Some medication taken for other diseases can cause infertility by causing the pituitary gland to produce excess prolactin which reduces estrogen production resulting in infertility.
9. SCARRED OVARIES:
Physical damage to the ovaries may result to failed ovulation and you can conceive when you are not ovulating.
10. INFECTION:
Bacterial and viral infections gotten through sex can cause inflammation leading to scarring and damage of the fallopian tube.
11. ENDOMETRIOSIS:
It is characterized by the excessive growth of the lining of the uterus. The symptoms often associated with endometriosis include heavy, painful and long menstrual periods, urinary urgency, rectal bleeding and premenstrual spotting.
12. BODY WEIGHT:
Women who are significantly overweight or underweight may have problems getting pregnant.
13. UTERINE CAUSES:
The presence of fibroids and polyps can affect your chances of getting pregnant.
S.O.Z