The first question anybody would want to ask is signs and symptoms of infertility. Sadly time could only really tell the one definite sign of infertility – failure to get pregnant. Time and age is key in determining fertility. If the couple is young with the woman’s age not more than 34 and both of them having regular, contraceptive free intercourse for a year yet fail to get pregnant, then there is something wrong. If the woman is 35 and up and having contraceptive free intercourse for six months that is reason already to consult to a doctor. As women age, their egg production also decreases. There may be no real and tangible signs other than that. Sometimes deep pain during intercourse can point to infertility (as a result of Endometriosis). For men it could be as subtle as having not enough sexual drive (as a result of low testosterone levels).
What are the risk factors associated with infertility? There are so many things that could go wrong in your body without a hint of intent from you. But there are also many things you do that can predispose infertility. Smoking is known to significantly affect the sperm quality in men. Too much alcohol, obesity, too much caffeine intake and excessive exercise can also be risks into infertility.
How about testing and diagnosis? For men there is the semen analysis (sometimes called sperm count), blood testing (to find out testosterone levels), and the physical exam. For women blood testing can also be done (to check hormone levels and detect conditions like PCOS), laparoscopy, basal body temperature and Hysterosalpingograpgy.
Treatment for infertility is a big world of natural remedies, lifestyle changes, medications and drugs and even cutting edge science methods. Drugs like Clomiphene can help women induce ovulation, while some drugs help in producing more sperms in men. Assisted reproductive technology is also there to facilitate more complex (and expensive) pregnancy, the most common example is In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) that involves egg production stimulation, harvesting of eggs, fertilization outside the body, re insertion of embryos, pregnancy and live birth. Though these treatments are heard to produce healthy babies, success rates are still marginal, at about 20%.
Fertility questions are important to raise awareness, correct misconceptions and encourage hope to couples who are trying hard to have a baby.
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