What are the Causes of Infertility in Men and Women?

• Primary infertility: It is a condition when you have never been pregnant and unable to conceive after one year or six months if you are aged 35 or above despite having regular, unprotected sexual intercourse.

• Secondary infertility: If you are unable to get pregnant again after having at least one successful pregnancy in the past.

• Unexplained infertility: If the fertility testing done has determined a reason for a person or couple not being able to get pregnant.

• Pelvic or abdominal pain.

• Irregular menstrual cycles or no menstrual cycles.

• Irregular vaginal bleeding. Penile disorders or issues with ejaculation.

• Some physical symptoms for female infertility could be Ovulation disorders Ovulation is the process involving the ovary release of an egg by the ovary to meet sperm for fertilization.

• Endometriosis.

• If your vagina, uterus or fallopian tubes have structural abnormalities.

• If autoimmune conditions such as celiac disease or lupus are diagnosed.

• Kidney disease.

• Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID).

• Hypothalamic and pituitary gland disorders.

• Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

• Primary ovarian insufficiency or poor egg quality.

• Sickle cell anemia.

• Uterine fibroids or uterine polyps.

• Thyroid disease.

• Prior surgical sterilization such as tubal ligation or salpingectomy.

• Genetic or chromosomal disorders.

• Sexual dysfunction.

• Surgical or congenital absence of your ovaries.

• Infrequent or absent menstrual periods.

• Infertility causes men and people assigned male at birth.

Male infertility involves problems associated with the sperm such as the shape, movement or sperm motility, or low sperm count.

• Enlarged veins or varicocele in the sac that holds your testicles are called the scrotum.

• Genetic disorders namely cystic fibrosis.

• Having chromosomal disorders, such as Klinefelter syndrome.

• High heat exposure is caused to your testicles by tight clothing or frequent use of hot tubs.

• Emission of radiation from holding laptops or heating pads on or near your testes region.

• Injury caused to your scrotum or testicles.

• A low testosterone level is called hypogonadism.

• Misuse of anabolic steroids.

• Sexual dysfunction, such as erectile dysfunction(ED), anejaculation, premature ejaculation, or retrograde ejaculation.

 • Undescended testicles.

 • History of previous or current chemotherapy or radiation therapy.

• Surgical or congenital absence of testes.

• Prior surgical sterilization or vasectomy.

• Diagnosis of female infertility: Firstly, your healthcare provider will check your past and present medical and sexual history.

• Female infertility with a uterus involves ovulating healthy eggs. During this process, your brain sends signals to your ovary to release an egg. The released egg travels through the fallopian tube and implants into the lining of the uterus. Fertility testing is done to check for any problems with these steps.

• Pelvic exam: A pelvic exam is performed to check for structural problems or signs of disease.

• Blood test: A blood test checks hormone levels to detect if hormonal imbalance is a factor or if you are ovulating.

• Transvaginal ultrasound: Here an ultrasound wand is inserted into your vagina to check for issues with your reproductive system.

• Hysteroscopy: Here a thin, lighted tube called a hysteroscope is inserted into your vagina to examine your uterus.

• Saline sonohysterogram (SIS): In this process, your uterus is filled with saline or sterilized salt water after which a transvaginal ultrasound is conducted.

• Sonohysterosalpingogram(HSG): During an SIS procedure, your fallopian tube is filled with saline and air bubbles to check for tubal blockages.

• X-ray hysterosalpingogram (HSG): During this test, X-rays track the movement of an injectable dye through the fallopian tubes, thus looking out for any blockages.

• Laparoscopy: A laparoscope is a thin tube equipped with a camera that is inserted through a small abdominal incision to identify any issues such as endometriosis, uterine fibroids, and scar tissue.

The below tests can help diagnose or rule out any associated problems:

• Semen analysis: This test is performed to check for low sperm count and poor sperm mobility. At times a needle biopsy is done to remove sperm from the testicles to test.

• Blood test: A blood test is done to check for thyroid and other hormonal imbalances. Genetic blood tests will identify any chromosomal abnormalities.

• Scrotal ultrasound: This, test is done to identify varicoceles or other testicular problems.

• Lifestyle modification: Lifestyle modifications are recommended by the doctor which includes weight gain or weight loss, stopping smoking, alcohol consumption, or using drugs. Having healthy eating habits can further improve your health conditions thus improving your chance of pregnancy.

• Medications: The intake of fertility drugs recommended by the doctor stimulates your ovaries to ovulate more eggs, thereby increasing your chance of pregnancy.

• Surgery: Surgery performed helps to open blocked fallopian tubes and removes polyps, fibroids, or scar tissue.

• Health Care providers would also suggest other factors to improve your chances to get pregnant. They include:

• With the use of the fertility tracking app, you will be able to track the basal body temperature and observe any changes that occur in the texture of cervical mucus.

• Purchasing a home ovulation kit either online or from a pharmacy can help predict ovulation.

• Medications: Intake of medications prescribed by the doctor can raise testosterone or other hormone levels. Drugs could also be prescribed for erectile dysfunction thus helping to maintain an erection during sexual intercourse.

• Surgery: Surgery is an option to open blockages in the tubes that carry sperm or to repair structural problems. Varicocele surgery can make sperm healthier thus improving the chances of conception.

• Some common fertility treatments help couples conceive with the use of assisted reproductive technology (ART). ART is a fertility treatment procedure that helps improve pregnancy.  In this procedure, medications are taken to stimulate ovulation.

• Below-mentioned are other fertility treatments that the healthcare providers could suggest.

• Intrauterine insemination (IUI): This procedure healthcare provider uses a long, thin tube to place sperm directly into your uterus. IUI also known as artificial insemination is a procedure that involves the sperm being transferred into a female's cervix or uterine cavity to achieve pregnancy.

• In vitro fertilization (IVF): In this procedure, eggs are retrieved from the ovary and placed with the sperm in a laboratory dish. After fertilization of the sperm with the eggs and on the formation of the embryos, one to three of the embryos are transferred into the uterus.

• Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI): ICSI procedure may be performed during the IVF process where an embryologist injects a single sperm directly into each egg. After the formation of the embryos, the healthcare provider transfers one to three of the embryos into your uterus.

• Assisted hatching: In this process, the opening of the outer layer of an embryo is done to make it easier for implantation into your uterine lining.

• Third-party ART: In this process, couples may use donor eggs, donor sperm or donor embryos. Certain couples require the assistance of a gestational carrier or surrogate.

For any issues or concerns related to infertility, please visit GarbhaGudi IVF Centre in Bangalore, which has been awarded as the Best Fertility & IVF Hospital.  We have given high success rates and follow a holistic approach to Fertility Treatment.

Our highly experienced panel of doctors, embryologists, and staff totally understand that fertility treatments can be both mentally and physically stressful, draining your energies. At GarbhaGudi, we are always committed to providing a lot of options, thus ensuring to bring a new ray of hope to many couples who are trying to conceive.