What is fertility

1. What is fertility?

Fertility is the capacity men and women to produce their offspring. Fertility is a condition where both men and woman are capable of producing an offspring by offering their sperm and eggs. Fertility decides whether you'll be able to conceive a baby or not.

2. Fertility cycle

Fertility cycle describes the fertility status at different times of the month. Understanding the fertility cycle can help you to find out your body's natural rhythms to determine the days of the month you are most likely to get pregnant.

3. Fertility and pregnancy

Fertility decides pregnancy. Fertile men and women can have a baby. The man offers his sperm and the woman offers her eggs. The sperm fertilize the eggs and a baby results from the combination of these two.

Male fertility and women fertility differs greatly. Male fertility declines with age but at a slower speed than women fertility. Women fertility declines rapidly with age. At the age of 25 women has the highest fertility level. After that the fertility level declines sharply and reduces to a very low level after the age of 35. That is why there are lots of problems with women who want to get pregnant after 35.

4. Factors affecting fertility

There are many factors that affect fertility both normal and ivf fertility. Age, diet, health, Ovulation, timing, sexual activity all these factors affect fertility in both male and female. These factors can cause infertility in both male and female.

5. Short term illness ?Can it affect fertility?

Short term illness in general cannot affect fertility. However, in some cases certain white blood cells may interfere with sperm transport and may cause blockage in the tubes, but cannot destroy it sperm. In case of woman, the affect of sickness depends on which phase you are in when you get sick. Short term illness before ovulation may delay or prevent it. If such a less occurs after ovulation, it cannot affect your cycle and fertility.

6. Birth control and future fertility

Today, millions of women are using different types of birth control methods. Many women are concerned about its effect on future fertility while choosing a specific birth control method. Some types of contraception may have impact on fertility, directly or indirectly. Some of them may even lead to permanent infertility. There are two forms of birth control that can cause potential problems with fertility. These two birth control methods are - IUD and all forms of hormonal birth control.

7. Drugs

Sometimes, some recreational and prescription drugs may cause infertility by causing reproductive issues. Some of the drugs including steroids, alcohol, and tobacco, can impact both the male and female reproductive systems negatively thereby causing infertility. Drug use can be linked to a large number of many of unexplained fertility cases.

8. Meds

there are different medicines used for improving fertility. There are two categories of search fertility meds- oral or injectible. Some of the popular medication for fertility are clomid, injectible drugs - or the gonadotropins (PergonalR, HumegonR, RepronexR, FollistimR, Gonal-FR ) etc.

Then fertility medication are used to encourage the development of a multiplicity of follicles in the ovary during each cycle. Some medicines help in stimulating a follicle (egg or ovum) to develop and mature, some to treat PCOS (PCOS: polycystic ovarian syndrome) and/or anovulation.

All these meds can remove the problems that cause infertility and thereby increase the chances of pregnancy.

9. Depression

Depression creates stess and lower the immunity of the body. Lower immunity not only increases the chances of catching an illness but also negatively affects fertility. Lower immunity reduces the chances of conception. Depression will also not lower your libido.

10. Smoking

Women smokers trying to conceive may take up to two months longer to conceive than non-smokers. Women has 40% lower chance of getting pregnant when they smoke. Smoking also causes miscarriages and male impotence in men.

11. Alcohol

Both chronic alcoholism and moderate alcohol intake affect fertility negatively by affecting the reproductive function. Alcohol abuse and alcoholism can also cause several problems such as hypothalmic-pituitary-ovarian dysfunction resulting in amenorrhea (absence of menses), luteal phase dysfunction (abnormal development of the endometrial lining), anovulation (lack of ovulation) and hyperprolactinemia. The negative affects on reproductive system causes infertility, increases spontaneous abortion, impaired fetal growth and development.

12. Stopping the pill ?When will fertility return?

Even after you stop taking the contraceptive pills, your fertility takes some time to return to the normal condition. It may take from 2 to 3 months to get back to the normal fertility condition. In some rare cases it may take upto 6 months to reestablish menses.

13. Illness
Some illnesses affect your fertility levels. There are illnesses such as Undescended testicles, Cystic fibrosis, Mumps, Diabetes and some rare genetic problems which may reduce ffertility in both the partners.

14. Fertility drugs

Fertility drugs are available for both men and women. This is the first treatment for them who are having problem with their fertility. However, these drugs may have some side effects which include premenstrual symptoms such as hot flushes, headaches, nausea and swollen breasts and weight gain in women.

There is another good medical method of treating infertility which is known as assisted reproduction treatments (ART) such as in vitro fertilization and intrauterine insemination. Other medical methods used are Blastocyst transfer, Assisted hatching etc. before using all his medical methods, both the male and female should undergo some tests and per the recommendations of the doctor.

Following the doctor's advice and strict medical supervision, fertility can be increased in both men and women.