Where to Start?
Male causes of infertility:
The most common cause of infertility in men involves abnormal or not enough sperm. Problems can arise when either not enough sperm is being produced, or the sperm is of poor quality.
The table below shows the WHO strict criteria for normal semen parameters.
WHO * 5 TH REFERENCE VALUES FOR SEMEN EVALUATION
The abnormality in the sperm may be due to blocked tubes. This is characterized by a either a blockage in the tube that stores your sperm from the testicle which is called the epididymis, or there may be a blockage in the tube that carries the sperm from the epididymis to ejaculation. This point of blockage involves the tube called the vas deferens which leads the sperm immediately from the place of storage to the ejaculate. If after evaluation everything else is healthy then a simple procedure is performed to retrieve sperm and may be the recommended way forward.
The testicles produce and store your sperm. If they are damaged it will affect the quality and quantity of the sperm you produce. The causes of damage could be caused by a wide number of events such as an infection, testicular cancer, receiving chemotherapy, or a testicular operation. If this is the case, it may still be possible to retrieve sperm surgically.
It is also very important to note that some life style habits can decrease your fertility and many times we overlook this very important issue. Some possible causes that may affect your sperm quantity or quality include the following:
- Being overweight or underweight
- Being a smoker
- Drinking too much alcohol
The importance of addressing these issues is that changing your lifestyle can improve your sperm parameters.
Female causes of infertility:
Endometrial tissue usually grows on the lining of the uterus and provides a milieu that is favourable for embryo implantation or attachment and growth and nutrition. Endometriosis is a disease characterized by the growth of endometrial tissue and glands in places other than the lining of the uterus.
Endometriosis can affect a female’s fertility by changing the shape and interrupting the function of the fallopian tube or by developing growths in the ovaries called endometriomas that affect follicular growth that is necessary for ovulation.
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Your tubes can be blocked due to previous surgery or infection due to sexually transmitted diseases or inflammation affecting the tubes. The problems that affect the tubes include the following:
- Pelvic inflammatory disease
- Adhesions from an operation
- Damaged tube ends
- Endometriosis
Most women who have a miscarriage will go on to have a healthy pregnancy with no intervention needed, but about 1% of couples will experience recurrent miscarriages. Recurrent miscarriage is characterized by having 3 or more miscarriages and may be due to several causes.