Infertility is total, irreversible and lifelong deprivation of the possibility of having a child of one's own. The problem of conceiving a child concerns more and more couples. The effectiveness of getting pregnant for one cycle in young he althy people reaches 20%. What is infertility, what are its causes and most importantly, can infertility be treated?
Infertilitycan affect both women and men. While infertility is often unconsciously confused with infertility, they are two different medical terms. The World He alth Organization (WHO) describes infertility as the inability to get pregnant for 12 months, despite regular intercourse (2-4 times a week) without the use of contraceptive methods. Infertility, unlike infertility, is a problem that can be treated.
Infertility - causes
Causes of infertility in women
The causes are almost evenly distributed between men and women. The total and irreversible inability to get pregnant applies to women who do not have a uterus.
Mayer-Rokitansky-Kuester-Hauser syndrome is a syndrome of birth defects that occurs in women. It is characterized by vaginal and uterine agenesis, primary amenorrhea and infertility.
Infertility can also result from the removal of the uterus or ovaries. Another reason is the premature termination of ovarian function, which is the case when the ovaries stop producing eggs before the age of 40.
In turn, ovarian failure may be caused by genetic defects with X chromosome deletions:
- Turner syndrome
- or Sweyer syndrome.
Sexually transmitted diseases can contribute to infertility, such as :
- chlamydia,
- gonorrhea,
- endometriosis
- or cysts.
Causes of male infertility
In most cases, male infertility is associated with the negative effects of infectious diseases or damage to the vas deferens. Infertility can be caused by a lack or underdevelopment of the sexual organs.
Relatively often it is the result of accidents, operations, as a result of which the man lost his testicles or they were so damaged that they do not produce sperm.
For the most dangerous diseaseaffecting male fertility is mumps, the complication of which may be bilateral orchitis.
Infertility also results from an inherited genetic disorder. The CFTR gene mutation, which contributes to the development of cystic fibrosis, is responsible for the bilateral absence or obstruction of the seminal ducts.
Chromosome aneuplody (Klinefelter syndrome) leads to testicular underdevelopment and infertility.
Infertility - treatment
Infertility is a permanent inability to have children and at the moment is considered an incurable disease. Infertile people who would like to have children can use sperm, egg or embryo donation.
Moreover, a uterine transplant has taken place all over the world. In 2022 in Germany, for the first time, doctors managed to achieve a happy end of pregnancy in two women who had a successful uterine transplant in 2016.
- Infertility - what is it? Differences between infertility and infertility
- How to recognize infertility? Causes of infertility in women and men