Introduction

Human beings are remarkably fertile. Most females are capable of conceiving and bearing children beginning in their mid-teen years. While women in industrialized societies usually bear children in their 20s and 30s, women can give birth well into their 40s and beyond. Men can be fertile into extreme old age. Unlike most mammals, humans can mate successfully year round; fertility is not restricted to a particular season of the year or to brief episodes of female heat.

But the process of reproduction is immensely complex. For conception to take place and pregnancy to begin, hundreds of individual hormonal, chemical, and physical events must take place in a precise order. For example, a sperm must form in the testicle, mature in the epididymis, be released into the female vagina, "swim" through the cervical opening, continue through the uterus and into a fallopian tube. In the tube, it must encounter a viable egg within 12 hours or so of its monthly release, attach itself to the egg, penetrate its outer vestments and fertilize the ovum within. After staying in the fallopian tube for about two days, the fertilized egg must descend into the uterus, grow and divide for a few more days, and then implant itself on the uterine wall.

A single disruption, small or large, in any of these events and conditions can cause infertility. The sperm may not be viable it may be dead, it may contain the wrong number of chromosomes, it may have been stored too long after its formation. Or it may be viable but immotile, meaning that it cannot "swim" correctly. It may be perfectly healthy but not accompanied by enough other sperm, for although only one sperm is ultimately required for fertilization, men whose semen contains less that 20 million sperm per milliliter frequently have infertility problems. The sperm ducts may be blocked, because of past infection or injury. The man may not be able to ejaculate, or his ejaculation may propel the sperm backward into his bladder rather than out through the penis. Once inside the cervix, the sperm may meet mechanical or chemical roadblocks. A muscle spasm may eject the sperm, the cervical mucus may be too thick to penetrate, or chemically hostile to the sperm. The fallopian tube may be blocked by scar tissue. If the sperm does manage to reach the egg, it may not be able to penetrate its defenses to fertilize it. A fertilized egg may become stuck in the fallopian tube. Or it may not be able to implant successfully in the uterus.

In the late 20th century, medical science has made great advances in understanding each stage of the reproductive process and in identifying the problems that can occur at each step. In an increasing number of cases these barriers can be corrected or worked around in order to achieve fertility for about 65% of couples who seek the help of fertility specialists. Although most of the biological work of creating children must still be done by the human body

Infertility is not just a medical problem…and you are not alone in your battle. At Vaunshdhara clinic Specialists, the medical team plays an active role in the treatment of each patient. We work together with the patient and partner as a team to develop a treatment plan that will make the best use of the resources available to solve the problem as quickly, safely and inexpensively as possible.

Infertility is a disease of the reproductive system, in either a male or a female,  that inhibits the ability to conceive and deliver a child. Infertility is the inability to conceive after one year of trying with unprotected intercourse for couples in which the female is under 35 and six months of trying for couples in which the female is over 35.

Approximately one in six couples are affected by infertility and there are a number of factors, both male and female, that can cause the condition.

 

Is infertility becoming more common?

Despite public worry and discussion, the actual incidence of infertility has remained fairly stable over the years. One couple out of 5 or 6 currently experiences infertility. Infertility grows more common with increasing age; about 33% of couples in their late 30s are infertile. The age factor has taken on new importance as many people in industrialized countries have put off marriage and children until certain educational or career goals are reached. For some time during the "sexual revolution" of the 1960s and '70s, doctors did see higher incidence of infertility caused by tubal blockages left by untreated venereal diseases such as gonorrhea and chlamydia. But this trend seems to have reversed since the appearance of AIDS has forced the adoption of barrier methods of contraception, which prevent most venereal diseases. Another social factor, the increasing difficulty of adoption (a result of improved birth control and the availability of legal abortion) has increased the demand for medical answers to infertility, regardless of their complexity and high cost.