Infertility: Not Just A Womans Problem!

Introduction
Infertility is the diminished or inability to conceive and have offspring and is also defined as the failure to conceive after a year or more of regular intercourse without using contraceptions. It Can be due to a single cause in either you or your partner, or a combination of causes that may prevent pregnancy from occurring or continuing.
In women it may be signaled by irregular menstrual periods or associated with conditions that cause pain during menstruation or intercourse. In older women it may be due to a higher risk of chromosome abnormalities that occur in their eggs as they age. It is not just a woman's concern and can occur in men from disorders of the testicles, or an abnormality affecting the hypothalamus or pituitary glands that produce hormones that control the testicles.
Causes
The most common causes of male infertility include abnormal sperm production or function, impaired delivery of sperm, conditions related to a man's general health and lifestyle, and overexposure to certain environmental elements. When sperm concentration is less than 5 million per milliliter of semen, genetic causes could be involved. Unknown causes account for approximately twenty percent or more of the cases. One-third of the problems are related to men and the remaining one-third is made up of a combination of fertility factors between the couple or unknown causes. Other causes of female infertility include blocked fallopian tubes, which can occur when a woman has had pelvic inflammatory disease or endometriosis. Some causes can not be determined or corrected.
Tests
Tests on a man may be done by a urologist and include semen analysis where the specimen is collected after 2 to 3 days of complete abstinence to determine volume and viscosity of semen and sperm count, motility, swimming speed, and shape. These tests attempt to determine whether any of these processes are impaired. For a woman to be fertile, the ovaries must release healthy eggs regularly, and her reproductive tract must allow the eggs and sperm to pass into her fallopian tubes for a possible union. Ultimately, these tests are designed to help find out whether the problem is with the man, the woman, or both. Before you have tests, talk with your partner about how much testing you want to do. Sometimes you may not find out what causes infertility even after many tests, so it is important to know how many you want to try.
Treatment
Without any treatment intervention, 15 - 20% of couples previously diagnosed as infertile will eventually conceive. Treatment depends on the cause, the duration of the problem, the age of the partners and their specific wishes and may include assisted reproductive technologies (ART). This type of treatment may include the following: artificial insemination which involves the placement of relatively large numbers of healthy sperm either at the entrance of the cervix or into the partner's uterus, bypassing the cervix, to have direct access to the fallopian tubes. Other treatments include medication or behavioral approaches.
Specific treatment for infertility will be determined by your physician based on your age, overall health, and medical history, extent of the disorder, cause of the disorder, your tolerance for specific medications, procedures, or therapies, expectations for the course of the disorder, your opinion or preference. Once a diagnosis is made, the specialist can work with you to determine the course of treatment.
Conclusion
Infertility is defined as not being able to get pregnant despite having frequent, unprotected sex for at least a year. Specific tests are done to help find out why a woman cannot become pregnant. Tests can cost a lot and cause stress. Infertility can affect social relationships and sexual functioning. Causes include a wide range of physical as well as emotional factors. It is important for the couple to recognize and discuss the emotional impact that infertility has on them as individuals or together and to seek medical advice from their health care provider.

About the Author
Richard H. Ealom is the Author of this article and the creator of "Free Articles On Diseases: How To Prevent and Cure Them". Need more information Please visit our website @ http://rainydrops.com/a-infertility/infertility.php or http://rainydrops.com/alternative-orthodox.php