Infertility

 Fertility

*This article is meant to be informative, but was not written by a medical professional. If you have further questions about pregnancy achievement or birth control, please consult your doctor or gynecologist.

Most of us are not familiar with our bodies beyond high school biology classes and a brief lesson in 5th grade on the reproductive system. As a brief introduction to this infrequently discussed topic, here are the differences between male and female fertility:

MALES

  • Fertile all the time, since sperm are produced on a daily basis.
  • Do not develop any sperm until puberty.
  • Fertile from puberty until death.


FEMALES

  • Fertile only a few days per cycle, since ovulation occurs only once a cycle.
  • Born with all the eggs they will ever have.
  • Fertile from puberty until menopause (about 50 years old).


For more information about fertility and the reproductive system, we recommend a great book called Taking Charge of Your Fertility by Toni Weschler. In this book, Weschler explains the Fertility Awareness Method, which can be used as a form of natural birth control, a way to achieve pregnancy, or just to gain better knowledge of your reproductive health. The information in this article was drawn from Weschler's book.

The BYU Health Center also offers a premarital class that will help you understand basic facts about human sexuality, including anatomy and its physiological and emotional responses. The premarital classes suggest ways to help young men and young women to have strong and healthy marriages and provides time for group questions and private answers from a clinician. Birth control education is given and prescriptions are available. For more information, please visit health.byu.edu.

Infertility

Infertility is an issue among many couples trying to get pregnant.  The male or the female could be the partner who is infertile.  Infertility could be a result of many factors:

1. Age: Most important factor in determining a couple’s conceiving probability.

2. Cycle: If your cycle is not regular, ask your doctor. The hormonal problems that may be responsible for an irregular cycle can also make it more difficult to get pregnant.

3. Health: PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome), fibroids, endometriosis, prior cancer treatment, pelvic surgery, cervical blocks, and eating disorders.

4. Lifestyle: being extremely under or overweight, along with smoking, alcohol consumption, and drug use.


There are many solutions for those who are struggling with infertility including in vitro fertilization, adoption, or surgical intervention.

 

Infertility Myths and Facts

Myth:   "Infertility is a woman's problem."

Fact:  Not true.  In fact, infertility is just as likely to be caused by a male factor as a female factor.  Male factor accounts for 40% of infertility, female factor accounts for 40%, combined female and male problems account for 10% and the remaining 10% are of unexplained causes.  It is essential that both the man and the woman be evaluated during an infertility work-up.

Myth:  "Everyone else seems to get pregnant at the drop of a hat!"

Fact:  It is estimated that 1 in 6 people experience infertility at some point in their lives.  According to the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) approximately 4.5 million couples experience infertility each year. Less than 2 million of the infertile couples actually seek help from the medical community.  Infertility is a common health problem in men and women. 

Myth:   "It's all in your head - if you relax and stop thinking about it you will get pregnant!"

Fact:  Infertility causes stress - stress doesn't cause infertility.  Infertility is a medical condition; a disorder to the reproductive system. While relaxing may help you cope and with your overall quality of life, the stress and deep emotions you feel are the result of infertility, not the cause of it.

Myth:  "If you adopt a baby you will get pregnant!"

Fact:  Almost every infertile couple has probably heard the story from a relative or friend about someone who became pregnant right after they adopted.  However, studies prove that the pregnancy rate after adopting is the same for those who do not adopt (5% each) - it's just the ones who adopt and then achieve pregnancy are the ones you hear about more often.

Myth:  "Maybe you two are doing something wrong!"

Fact:  Infertility is not a sexual disorder, it's a medical condition.

Myth:  "If you have sex every day it will increase your chances of getting pregnant."

Fact:  Because normal, healthy sperm remain active in the woman's reproductive system from 48-72 hours, having intercourse at 36-48 hour intervals around the time of ovulation is usually adequate.  In fact, if the man has a low sperm count that replenishes slowly, having sex every day may be counterproductive.

Myth:  "For some couples, getting pregnant just takes time.”

Fact: Couples should seek consultation after 12 months of unprotected intercourse if they have not achieved pregnancy.  For couples over 35 years of age, it should be after six months.

Myth:  "Infertility only happens to couples who have never had a child before."

Fact:  Unfortunately for many couples who have a child and wish to conceive again, a variety of factors can contribute to what is known as "secondary infertility."  A number of problems could have occurred since the last conception.

Links

http://www.fertilityauthority.com/

http://www.tcoyf.com/ (Taking Charge of Your Fertility Website)