Infertility awareness: what is it and the causes of infertility
National Infertility Awareness Week is observed from 20th to 26th April this year and aims to raise awareness about infertility and reduce the stigma associated with this condition which is estimated to affect around one in seven couples in the UK.
What is infertility?
Broadly defined by the World Health Organisation as “the failure to achieve pregnancy after 12 months or more of regular unprotected sexual intercourse”, around 9 to 15% of British couples will have fertility problems.
While its causes may vary widely (more on which below), the important thing to remember is that infertility is never anyone’s ‘fault’, and it can happen to anyone, regardless of age, lifestyle, ethnicity or social standing.
What are the causes of infertility?
As mentioned above, there are many and varied causes of infertility, some of which may be lifestyle related, such as:
- Smoking
- Alcohol or substance abuse
- Poor diet
Whilst it can be easy to blame yourself if one of these is the reason you are struggling to conceive, the great news is that lifestyle causes can be easily remedied. Other common causes are excess weight, hormones, medical conditions, or plain old genetics. In many cases there is more than one contributing factor. Here are some of the most common causes of infertility, broken down by gender.
Female infertility causes
- Age – sadly, as women get older, the number and quality of their eggs is reduced, which in turn decreases the chances of a quick and easy conception.
- Ovulation problems – if your body isn’t producing eggs regularly, then that can make it difficult to conceive. Ovulation problems can be caused by underlying conditions, like polycystic ovary syndrome.
- Endometriosis – this is a chronically underdiagnosed condition where uterine tissue grows outside of the womb, causing scarring that can affect your fertility.
- Structural issues with the reproductive organs – problems like blocked fallopian tubes, or abnormalities in the womb, can make it difficult to conceive or carry a pregnancy.
Male infertility causes
- Ejaculation problems – issues including premature ejaculation or retrograde ejaculation (where semen is sent backwards into the bladder instead of exiting in the normal way) can cause infertility.
- Varicose veins – some men have a condition called Varicocele, where varicose veins in the testicles can cause them to overheat, which can impact the production of sperm.
- Sperm issues – problems like low sperm count, poor sperm motility or abnormal morphology can have a negative effect on male fertility.
What can be done about infertility?
If you have been trying to conceive for 12 months or more without success, then it might be time to seek medical help. The first thing to do, of course, is to examine your lifestyle and general health carefully, to see if there is anything you can do at home that will help, such as quitting smoking, reducing your alcohol intake (or maybe cutting it out completely) or improving your diet.
If you have tried all these things, or are satisfied that lifestyle factors are not an issue for you, then a fertility specialist will be able to help. There are a range of options to treat fertility problems, and the right one for you will depend on your specific circumstances and the cause of your infertility.
For more information, or to book a consultation with one of our fertility experts, please contact us.