When we consider causes of infertility we generally see the problem as a two sided coin – infertility in men and female infertility. But there are a common set of causes that affect the couple as a whole. These are problems where both parties are engaging in an activity or a behavior that is counter-productive to achieving pregnancy. These can be broken out as follows:
Do you or your partner have any chronic illnesses, like diabetes, thyroid problems, or hypertension?
Chronic illness affects a couple’s ability to conceive through a complex phenomenon known as “bonding”. The person who is ill has a reduced ability to produce healthy genetic material necessary for conception. Their partner reduces the couple’s chances of getting pregnant even further by worrying about health of the partner who’s ill.
This is a very complex “dance” played out daily in the lives of couples everywhere. The news is not all bad however. Resolving the medical problems of the first party also reduces the mental strain on the partner – increasing the chances of getting pregnant significantly.
Have you or your partner been treated for cancer in the past?
Cancer mirrors chronic illness – because it’s a chronic illness on steroids. Cancer and cancer treatments wreck havoc on the hormonal balance and physical well-being of the person with the disease – generally reducing their fertility. And the supportive partner’s fertility suffers as well due to the stress of helping their partner deal with a potentially fatal disease.
Couple’s who successfully weather cancer, however, usually see a rebound in their fertility levels – often conceiving the baby of their dreams.
Do you or your partner have a history of STDs?
STDs are often a “silent” disease – but one that leaves behind a wealth of underlying health and infertility issues. And it is not uncommon that one partner will infect the other during the course of the disease due to the fact that the symptoms are often mild or non-existent. Ability to conceive rests upon the effectiveness and swiftness of the treatment of the STD. The end result can range from no fertility impairment to sterility of both partners.
Are you either underweight or overweight?
Most couples learn to share the same lifestyle behaviors within months of marriage. You will generally see two people who are overweight – or underweight – instead of only one. If only one partner is overweight or underweight, their chances of producing healthy genetic material begins to diminish. When both partners are overweight or underweight, the statistical odds are tipped in the direction of inability to conceive. This is among the “undiagnosed” causes of infertility because medical doctors are reluctant to broach the topic of weight.
Do you or your partner smoke?
Smoking has long been known to destroy genetic material – leading to various cancers. But it’s only recently that the connection has been made between smoking and infertility. And whether exposure to tobacco smoke is first or second hand – smoking damages the genetic material in the sperm and ovum.
While it is uncertain how long it takes to reverse the effect of smoking as one of the causes of infertility, it is known that reversal does occur when both partners refrain from smoking and from being around people who smoke.
Are you or your partner undergoing stress, emotional or psychological issues?
The mechanism by which these impair the chances of getting pregnant is not clear but it’s certain that couples undergoing such issues have significantly impaired fertility. Stress and emotional/psychological problems have a well documented mind/body connection. They impair general health, they impair fertility. And there is no such thing as stress affecting only one person in a relationship.
These are some of the most difficult causes of infertility to effectively deal with. When couples face these issues, it is strongly recommended that they undergo psychological counseling as well as fertility counseling.
Are you or your partner older than 35?
35 appears to be the magic age where the rate of infertility begins to increase dramatically. It works as an agent of female infertility because the eggs are known to have a finite period of viability. At 35, viability decreases along with the chances of getting pregnant. In the male, age leads to a decrease in testosterone – along with a decrease in the production of sperm and the sex drive.
As couples wait longer and longer to begin a family, they are faced with the toll age takes on fertility. Their chances of birth defects and miscarriage increase – their ability to conceive decreases.
So what’s a couple to do?
The solution to each of these problems is as different as the problems themselves. But being armed with the knowledge that these are common causes of infertility enables a couple to take appropriate action to increases their chances of getting pregnant. If you would like to explore alternative infertility treatments, be sure to visit my website below where you’ll learn the method I used to make two happy and healthy babies when doctors told me I would never conceive.
pregnancy (Third trimester)
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