EFFECTS OF INFERTILITY

In the male dominated Indian society, female partner is generally blamed for infertility and faces social wrath for her barrenness. Even though times are changing and many parents plan to be DINK (Double Income No Kids), infertility does lead to unhappiness and marital disharmony, which may even end in divorce.

CAUSES

To understand the causes of Infertility one must understand necessary pre-requisites for conception.

1. Testis must produce healthy motile sperm.
2. Sperm transport. Sperm has to be deposited at the external os through satisfactory intercourse. This has to be transported through cervical mucus, uterine cavity and fallopian tubes.
3. The ovary must produce healthy ovum by ovulation and ovum should be picked up by the fallopian tube.
4. Fertilization occurs at the tubal lumen and the fertilized egg is transported through the tube to be implanted on the healthy endometrium. The embryo grows to healthy baby in uterine incubator and baby is safely delivered.

One or multiple factors may interfere in the above process.

1. Physiological. It is not possible to conceive before puberty, after menopause, during pregnancy and sometimes during lactation, as ovulation does not occur during these periods.
2. Pathological.

1. Faulty male factors are responsible in about one-quarter cases.
2. Faulty female factors are responsible in another one-half cases.
3. Faulty combined male-female factors are responsible in remaining one-fourth cases.

You must know that in 10 per cent of cases, no obvious abnormality can be found to explain infertility even with the current diagnostic facilities as sonography, endoscopy and endocrine assays. This is unexplained infertility.

In practice when you approach with complaint of infertility, you must understand that both the partners share the responsibility, as fertility is the function of husband-wife unit.