What are the Causes of Infertility?
Causes of infertility include a wide range of physical, as well as emotional factors.
Causes of Female Infertility-
- Scarring from sexually transmitted disease (STD). Gonorrhea and chlamydia are the two most frequent causes of sexually transmitted diseases that lead to infertility.
- Ovulation dysfunction
- Poor nutrition
- Hormone imbalance
- Cysts or cancer of the ovaries or uterus (polycystic ovarian syndrome, PCOS)
- Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). The inflammatory processes cause scarring of the fallopian tubes and subsequently lead to decreased fertility, absolute infertility and/or increased incidence of ectopic pregnancy.
- Polyps or fibroids of the ovaries or uterus
- Transport system abnormality from the cervix through the fallopian tubes can also lead to infertility
- Obesity
- Eating disorders
- Abnormal menstrual cycles
- Chronic disease such as diabetes
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Causes of Male Infertility-
- Decreased sperm count or no sperm
- Retrograde ejaculation
- Impotence
- Hormone deficiency
- Environmental pollutants
- Scarring from sexually-transmitted disease
- Smoking and heavy alcohol intake
- Cancer treatments
- Exposure to heat for prolonged periods
- Mumps orchitis (inflammation of the testis)
