Читать книгу Dad's Guide to Pregnancy For Dummies - Sharon Perkins - Страница 71

Imagine 100 average couples under the age of 35 trying to get pregnant. The following outcomes are expected:

 75 couples are pregnant within a year.

 10 couples are pregnant after two years of trying without medical intervention.

 10 couples need treatment from an infertility specialist in order to conceive.

Causes of infertility can be complex and often hard to diagnose. Some are related to the health and lifestyle issues we cover in the earlier “Evaluating Health to Get Ready for Parenthood” section. Despite treatments and diagnostic practices that primarily focus on women, the statistics paint a different picture:

 One-third of infertility is diagnosed as female-factor.

 One-third of infertility is diagnosed as male-factor.

 Between 10 and 15 percent of infertility cases are diagnosed as a combination of male- and female-factor.

 About 20 percent of infertility cases are unexplained following diagnostic testing.

For women, the main causes of infertility are

 Ovulatory disorders: No ovulation or ovulation on an irregular schedule.

 Tubal disorders: Fallopian tubes are blocked or have an infection that interferes with ovulation or sperm travel.

 Uterine issues: Fibroids and polyps (growths that can cause blockages) or an abnormally shaped uterus.

For men, the main causes of infertility are

 Low sperm count: Not enough guys to get the job done.

 Decreased sperm motility: The sperm has trouble moving forward into the fallopian tubes.

 Abnormally shaped sperm: Abnormal shapes usually indicate chromosomal abnormalities.

 No sperm present in the ejaculate: A blockage somewhere in the reproductive tract or hormonal disorders can cause an absence of sperm.