24/08/2021
INFERTILITY A MONSTER
Infertility is when a couple cannot get pregnant (conceive) despite having regular unprotected s*x.
There are 2 types of infertility:
primary infertility .
where someone who's never conceived a child in the past has difficulty conceiving
secondary INFERTILITY
Where someone has had 1 or more pregnancies in the past, but is having difficulty conceiving again.
What causes infertility?
There are many possible causes of infertility, and fertility problems can affect either partner. But in a quarter of cases it is not possible to identify the cause.
Common causes of infertility include:
lack of regular ovulation (the monthly release of an egg)
poor quality semen
blocked or damaged fallopian tubes
endometriosis – where tissue that behaves like the lining of the womb (the endometrium) is found outside the womb
Risk factors
There are also several factors that can affect fertility.
These include:
age – fertility declines with age
weight – being overweight or obese (having a BMI of 30 or over) reduces fertility; in women, being overweight or severely underweight can affect ovulation
s*xually transmitted infections (STIs) – several STIs, including chlamydia, can affect fertility
smoking – can affect fertility: smoking (including passive smoking) affects your chance of conceiving and can reduce semen quality; read more about quitting smoking
alcohol – the safest approach is not to drink alcohol at all to keep risks to your baby to a minimum.
Drinking too much alcohol can also affect the quality of s***m.
environmental factors – exposure to certain pesticides, solvents and metals has been shown to affect fertility, particularly in men
stress – can affect your relationship with your partner and cause a loss of s*x drive; in severe cases, stress may also affect ovulation and s***m production
There's no evidence to suggest caffeinated drinks, such as tea, coffee and colas, are associated with fertility problem
