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| Source: Nina H in global panorama |
Infertility is the inability to conceive despite regular unprotected sex for a whole year.
Today, infertility is one of the greatest problems
bedeviling numerous families around the world. When it comes to infertility, it
affects both men and women alike. Infertility may be primary or secondary.
Primary infertility implies that such a woman has never got pregnant in her
whole life despite unprotected sex for at least a year, while secondary
infertility means that a woman is unable to conceive again, after birthing one
or more children. There is another part to it, known as subfertility.
Subfertility is being insufficiently fertile as expected which may hinder
conception.
While many families are presently on the mission to find
out possible causes of delay in child bearing and find solution to them, many
other families have technically disintegrated, and some others are the verge of
breaking up due to lack of the fruit of the womb. There are women who after
trying all possible means of achieving pregnancy without success have become
depressed and psychologically bewildered due to this issue. Some have been
shown the way out of their matrimonial homes by their husband or by a second
wife, while some others suffer hunger, inadequate care, psychological trauma,
social embracement, and worse of it all, threats and beatings in the hands of wicked mother in-laws. Why do our women
have to go through all these simply because presently, achieving pregnancy is
difficult? Why? It is therefore of immense benefit to talk about possible
causes of infertility that have so much impact on families the smallest subset
of a whole nation.
1.
Lack
of ovulation
In medicine, it is called
anovulation. Anovulation is the inability of the most matured egg (dominant
follicle) in your ovary to burst midway into your cycle. For example, if you
run a 28day cycle, you are expected to ovulate (i.e. the egg or follicle
breaking up to release its fluid content with numerous tiny eggs called ova) on
day 14, counting from the first day of her menses. However, when this fails to
occur, the follicle keeps increasing in size forming a functional ovarian cyst.
You may refer to my post “5 signs you are ovulating” to see signs of ovulation.
2.
PCOS
PCOS is “polycystic ovarian
syndrome”. Here the affected ovary has thick wall and there is the presence of
numerous small sized follicles that fail to develop and be released for
ovulation. Women with PCOS have a consistently high male hormone known as androgen. The presence high level of
androgen indicates hormonal imbalance.
3.
Hormonal
Imbalance
There are a good number of
other hormones that flow in your blood stream. Hormones are meant to work
together harmoniously to control ovulation, pregnancy and some other basic
processes of life. Some of the hormones are progesterone, androgen, estrogen,
insulin and etc. An interruption in the normal levels of these hormones
disrupts special functions they are meant to carry out in the body. Such
disruption may be caused by stress, hormone based diseases like diabetes and
PCOS.
4. Infections
Infection means a proliferation or
abnormal increase in the growth of micro-organisms found in the reproductive
organ. Micro-organisms thrive abundantly when there is a conducive environment
that favors their growth. Infections are often sexually transmitted from one
person to the other hence the name, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Such
may include E-coli infection, Candidiasis, Clamydia infection, Gonorrhea, Syphilis
and the likes. An accumulation of various STDs is called pelvic inflammatory
diseases (PID, sometimes called toilet infection), which if left untreated may
result in serious issues with the uterus, ovaries and the fallopian tubes. One
of such issues with the fallopian tube is the dreaded ectopic pregnancy.
5. Abuse of contraceptives
Contraceptives are drugs
used in preventing pregnancy. Some are hormone based while others are not.
Contraceptives interfere with normal ovulation process and inhibit any process
that leads to getting pregnant. An abuse of these pills, and their use over a
long time has the potential of resulting in infertility. Contraceptives should
be used with guidance of a gyna or an obstetrician.
6.
Obesity
Obesity is measured by your
BMI-Body Mass Index. Your weight and height are important factors in
determining your BMI. Persons with obesity or continual weight gain in the body
are known for a high MBI which may co-exist with or result in PCOS and thus
prevent normal ovulation. Body fat may result in a high BMI.
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