Infertility

About

Infertility is defined as the biological inability of a person to conceive a child.

A couple may be considered infertile if, the woman is unable to become pregnant despite two years of regular sexual intercourse, without contraception.

Types of Infertility-

• Primary Infertility- Refers to the infertility in a couple who have never had a child.
• Secondary Infertility- Refers to failure to conceive following a previous pregnancy.

Infertility can be due to hormonal imbalance, sexually transmitted diseases, smoking, alcoholism or certain medications, but often there is no obvious underlying cause.

About 85-90% of infertility cases can be treated with conventional medical therapies such as medication or surgery. Treatment depends on the cause of infertility for couple. It may range from simple education and counseling, to the use of medicines that treat infections or promote ovulation, to highly sophisticated medical procedures such as in-vitro fertilization.

Although infertility itself does not cause physical illness, the psychological impact of infertility upon individuals or couples affected by it may be severe. Marital problems, including divorce, individual depression and anxiety are common. These problems can be treated with psychiatric counseling.

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