Male Infertility .
When pregnancy fails to occur, the regular suspect is the woman. The male psyche erroneously equates fertility with virility but the reality is that the man is as responsible as the woman for an infertile situation. Studies show that male infertility is increasing in frequency and 40% of infertility emanates directly from men. In fact the number of sperm that men are producing has dropped by almost half during thelast40 years, according to several studies.
The most common cause of infertility in men is inadequate sperm both in quality and quantity terms. To determine the level of sperm, the man would go through a simple and inexpensive "Semen Analysis". For a semen analysis, a fresh semen sample not more than half an hour old is required, after sexual abstinence for at least two to four days. If this test is done badly by poorly trained technicians in ill-equipped laboratories, its results can be very misleading. If the sample has less than 20 million sperm per ml, this is viewed to be a low sperm count, and less than 10 million is considered very low. This deficiency is called oligospermia. Some men have no sperm at all and this deficiency is identified as azoospermia. Infection [of the seminal vesicles and the prostate) is another common cause of male infertility. The presence of sugar, called fructose, in the semen gel is also considered as a proof of infection. This sugar provides energy for sperm motility, and its absence points to a block in the male reproductive tract. Other than infections, some researchers are of the opinion that toxic chemicals in our environment particularly through preservatives and additives in refined food as well as ultra violet emissions from appliances such asmobile phones could be possible causes for declining sperm counts.
Impotence or erectile dysfunction is another reason for male infertility. This is where a man has a desire for intercourse, but he does not have an erection.The genital organ thus becomes a paralysed part of the body. Even when he achieves some erection, he discharges before intercourse. This disorder ruins the married life. The ill effect of impotence not only affects the man; it leaves the wife frustrated. A prolonged or continuous erectile dysfunction points to an underlying medical disorder and it needs urgent medical attention.
Female Infertility
The most common cause of female infertility is an ovulation disorder. Other causes include blocked fallopian tubes, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and endometriosis. Repeated miscarriages maybe caused by congenital anomalies (birth defects) involving the structure of the uterus and uterine fibroids. The diagnoses of women infertility include an analysis of body temperature and ovulation, an x-ray of the fallopian tubes and uterus, and laparoscopy. Couples should have sexual relations 3 to 4 times during the week before ovulation. The egg (oocyte) only survives for 24 hours after ovulation; so good timing is essential. The following are some of the symptoms that warrant an urgent visit to the physician: Periods occurring at three week (or less) intervals, periods not occurring for longer than three months, irregular periods, a history of pelvic infection, two or more rniscarriaqes etc.