1. Common Queries In Infertility
STEFI JOSHUA
COUNSELLOR
FEMELIFE FERTILITY

2. What Is Infertility ?
In general, infertility is defined as not being able to get pregnant (conceive) after one year of unprotected sex.
Women who do not have regular menstrual cycles, or are older than 35 years and have not conceived during a 6-month period of trying, should consider making an appointment with - an infertility specialist.
These doctors may also be able to help women with recurrent pregnancy loss - 2 or more spontaneous miscarriages.

3. Pregnancy and infertility
Pregnancy is the result of a process that has many steps.
A woman's body must release an egg from one of her ovaries (ovulation).
A man's sperm must join with the egg along the way (fertilize).
The fertilized egg must go through a fallopian tube toward the uterus (womb).
The fertilized egg must attach to the inside of the uterus (implantation).
Infertility may result from a problem with any or several of these steps.

4. What causes infertility in men?
Infertility in men can be caused by different factors and is typically evaluated by a semen analysis.
A specialist will evaluate the number of sperm (concentration), motility (movement), and morphology (shape).
A slightly abnormal semen analysis does not mean that a man is necessarily infertile. Instead, a semen analysis helps determine if and how male factors are contributing to infertility.

5. What causes infertility in women?
Women need functioning ovaries, fallopian tubes, and a uterus to get pregnant. Conditions affecting any one of these organs can contribute to female infertility. Some of these conditions are listed below and can be evaluated using a number of different tests.
 Hormones are also responsible for process of fertilization

6. Can PCOS Be a Cause of Infertility ?
One of the most common reasons a woman has trouble  getting pregnant  is a condition called Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).
It’s a hormone problem that interferes with the reproductive system.
When you have PCOS, your ovaries are larger than normal. These bigger ovaries can have many tiny cysts that contain immature eggs.

7. The infertility rate with polycystic ovaries is very high
The infertility rate with polycystic ovaries is very high. these women usually will have difficulty getting pregnant

8. Can Erectile dysfunction Be a Cause of Infertility ?
Erectile dysfunction, also called impotence, is the inability to attain or maintain an erection of the penis that is firm enough for penetration during sexual intercourse.
To initiate and maintain an erection, the penis must fill with blood. Nerve signals stimulate this engorgement.
They prompt the blood vessels in the penis to expand so blood can fill it.

9. Erectile dysfunction can cause male infertility because it interrupts or prevents intercourse
In order to conceive a child, sperm must be delivered to your partner's egg during intercourse.
Thus, problems that prevent or interrupt intercourse, cause the inability to deliver sperm to the egg and lead to infertility. Having an erectile dysfunction does not mean you are infertile.

10. Can Smoking Be a Cause for infertility ?
There is strong evidence that smoking adversely affects male and female fertility.
Smokers are more likely to be infertile and women who are exposed to smoking take longer to conceive
Maternal smoking increases the risk of low birth weight and birth defects and women who smoke reach menopause earlier than non-smokers
Smoking can also damage sperm DNA.

11. Heavy smoking (≥20 cigarettes per day) by fathers at the time of conception increases the child’s risk of childhood leukaemia and shortens reproductive lifespan of daughters
Smoking strongly affects sperm count

12. Can alcohol also be a cause for infertility ?
Alcohol consumption affects hormone production in men just like in women, and may also cause impotence.
Alcohol is toxic to the delicate sperm producing cells, which may be destroyed completely over time.
Alcoholism is also associated with increased estrogen levels in men

13. This automatically decreases sperm production and may even contribute to prostate cancer in older males.

14. Semen analysis in infertility ?
A semen analysis accurately measures the number of sperm, their motility (ability to move), their morphology (size and shape), and the volume and consistency of the ejaculated sample.
A semen analysis is the most important male infertility test.

15. Normal count-15 million
< 15 million (OLIGOZOOSPERMIA)
Morphology - 4%
< 4% (TERATOZOOSPERMIA)
Motility - 32%
< 32 % (ASTHENOZOOSPERMIA)