Many couples suffer from infertility, which is defined as being unable to conceive after having tried for at least a year with no signs of success.
For women who are over the age of 35, that time period is lowered to six months.
It may also be used to describe women are able to get pregnant but cannot carry to baby to term.
There are a number of treatments, therapies, and alternatives for those couples who are unable to conceive.
Here are some things you should know about this common condition.
Infertility can mean a lot of different things and can be a different problem in different couples.
One of the things that happens when a pregnancy goes through is the woman releases an egg that moves through to the uterus.
Following this, sperm must join up with the egg and fertilize it.
Finally, the fertilized egg has to attach to the inside of the uterus in a process known as implantation.
When a problem occurs with any of these steps, it can prevent pregnancy.
It is up to a doctor to determine which of these steps is not happening in the way it should.
Of course, infertility is not a problem due solely to either men or women.
It can occur in both or it can occur in either one of the other.
Studies have shown the problem to be divided rather equally between men and women.
For men, the problem is usually a result of variococele, which, in simple terms, means the veins in the man's testicles are too large, which creates a heating effect.
This heat can have adverse effects on both the number and quality of the available sperm.
Of course, there are other problems which may also be contributing to an infertile man.
With women, the problem is usually due to some issue with the ovulation process.
Since ovulation creates the eggs, there is nothing to be fertilized if there are problems with the process.
Irregular menstrual cycles or no menstrual cycles can be clear signs that there is a problem.
One of these problems that is often the source is called polycystic ovarian syndrome, which creates a hormone imbalance and can cause infertility.
If you are a couple trying to conceive and are having problems, you should seek out the help of your primary physician or an infertility clinic to get checked out and discover what the problem is.
For women who are over the age of 35, that time period is lowered to six months.
It may also be used to describe women are able to get pregnant but cannot carry to baby to term.
There are a number of treatments, therapies, and alternatives for those couples who are unable to conceive.
Here are some things you should know about this common condition.
Infertility can mean a lot of different things and can be a different problem in different couples.
One of the things that happens when a pregnancy goes through is the woman releases an egg that moves through to the uterus.
Following this, sperm must join up with the egg and fertilize it.
Finally, the fertilized egg has to attach to the inside of the uterus in a process known as implantation.
When a problem occurs with any of these steps, it can prevent pregnancy.
It is up to a doctor to determine which of these steps is not happening in the way it should.
Of course, infertility is not a problem due solely to either men or women.
It can occur in both or it can occur in either one of the other.
Studies have shown the problem to be divided rather equally between men and women.
For men, the problem is usually a result of variococele, which, in simple terms, means the veins in the man's testicles are too large, which creates a heating effect.
This heat can have adverse effects on both the number and quality of the available sperm.
Of course, there are other problems which may also be contributing to an infertile man.
With women, the problem is usually due to some issue with the ovulation process.
Since ovulation creates the eggs, there is nothing to be fertilized if there are problems with the process.
Irregular menstrual cycles or no menstrual cycles can be clear signs that there is a problem.
One of these problems that is often the source is called polycystic ovarian syndrome, which creates a hormone imbalance and can cause infertility.
If you are a couple trying to conceive and are having problems, you should seek out the help of your primary physician or an infertility clinic to get checked out and discover what the problem is.