Infertility happens when a couple fails to conceive a child after at least one year of engaging in unprotected sex or coitus. In fact, there are about 13% and 20% of couples in United States alone that are infertile. There are two types of infertility, primary or secondary. Primary infertility is when there is no previous pregnancy while secondary infertility entails there has been a previous pregnancy but for some reason, they are unable to conceive at present. Sterility, on the other hand, is the inability to get pregnant or impregnate due to a known condition like absence of uterus or absence of ovaries.
Some couples are not aware of the recommended average time to have coitus to get pregnant. As a matter of fact, when couples engage in coitus for four times a week, chances are, 50% of women will get pregnant at 6 months. For 12 months, about 85% will get pregnant. However, some couples would think that having sex more often will be the solution to bear a child. The more frequent sex or coitus is, the less sperm is produced that are viable to impregnate a woman.
For males, some factors that lead to infertility are inadequate sperm count, impaired sperm motility, and ejaculation problems. For women, common factors are anovulation, tubal transport problems, uterine problems, cervical conditions and vaginal problems.
Inadequate sperm count is a reason for infertility because for normal conditions, 60% of sperms should be mobile and has normal shape and form. The normal sperm count is 50 million per ejaculation. If there are less sperm cells, the less likely a man can impregnate his partner. Exposure to extreme temperatures, activities that increase scrotal heat and chronic infection can lower sperm count. Sperm motility is important because they need to travel from the vagina to the fallopian tube of the women. When sperm cells are immobile, they cannot fertilize the egg cell. Subsequently, ejaculation problems such as erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation can cause infertility.
For women, there are various factors that lead to infertility. Absence of ovulation (anovulation) is common among women with conditions in their ovaries. Also, if there is a problem with their fallopian tube like scarring due to chronic infection, infertility happens. Uterine, cervical and even vaginal conditions can lead to infertility as well such as endometriosis, sticky cervical mucus, and infections in the vagina. Conceiving a child is a commitment and purpose of each couple. If infertility is suspected, it is better to consult a health care provider for proper assessment and management.
