Infertility can affect both men and women and has various descriptions. This is because it can be used to describe the failure to conceive after engaging in consistent unprotected sex. It can also be used to describe an individual’s biological inability to contribute to the act of conception, or a female who loses the ability to successfully carry a pregnancy within the expected time frame. However, in a good number of countries, infertility has been used to describe couples who have failed to conceive within a period of 12 months even after having consistent sexual intercourse minus the use of contraceptives. Various studies carried out have indicated that more than half of the documented infertility cases have been linked to female conditions, with the rest resulting from unidentified factors or sperm disorders.

A good number of cases involving infertility are treatable. It can be brought about by a specific problem in either of the partners. It can also come about as a result of various combined factors.

Infertility Risk Factors

 Anything that increases your chances of developing a certain condition, symptom or disease is referred to as a risk factor. Infertility has various risk factors with the most significant ones being:

1. Age
By the age of 32 years, the level of fertility in a woman begins to subside and continues to do so as the years go by. A man in his fifty’s is less fertile than a 20-year-old. In men, fertility gradually drops after their fortieth birthday.

2. Overweight
In the developed countries an inactive lifestyle and obesity have been noted as being the main causes of infertility amongst women. A man suffering from obesity has increased chances of producing abnormal sperms.

3. Eating Disorders
Women suffering from any kind of eating disorder can become seriously underweight. This can result in infertility issues.

Causes of Infertility in Women

 1. Ovulation Disorders
This is the leading cause of infertility amongst women, as noted by experts. The process through which an egg is released from the ovaries and which occurs once a month is referred to as ovulation. There are some women who never release eggs, while in some women the eggs may not be released in some cycles. This can be brought about by a thyroid gland which is over or under-active, a number of chronic conditions and poor quality of an egg.

2. Problems within the Fallopian Tubes or Uterus
The fertilized egg usually moves through the ovary and gets into the uterus where it attaches itself and grows. If there is a problem within the fallopian tubes or uterus, the woman may fail to conceive in a natural way. These problems can come about due to surgeries or previous sterilization treatments.

3. Medications
There are a number of drugs that can affect a woman’s fertility. Some of these include illegal drugs such as cocaine, some chemotherapy medications, and radiotherapy.

Causes of Infertility in Men

 1. Semen
It is a milky fluid released from a man’s penis during orgasm. It is made up of sperm and fluid. Seventy-five percent of documented cases of male infertility have been as a result of abnormal semen. Some of the semen problems include:

No sperm within the semen.
Low sperm motility and count
Abnormal sperm
2. Medications
Some medications that may cause infertility in men to include:

A number of those used in chemotherapy
Anabolic steroids which are mostly used by athletes and bodybuilders
Sulfasalazine, an anti-inflammatory medication used by individuals suffering from rheumatoid arthritis.