When couples struggle to have a baby, then most likely the couple has an infertility problem. Infertility is the condition where a woman is not in a position to get pregnant no matter how many times she engages in unprotected sex. It is, therefore, imperative that the couple goes for checking as difficulty in conceiving a child can be caused by several problems associated with either the man or the woman ( Golombok, et al., 2002) .. For instance in women the problem could be caused by age, issues with the thyroid gland, fibroids or the pelvic inflammatory disease. In the male the problem can be caused by testicular cancer, occupation, sperm disorders, and genetic disorders.
Age could be a significant cause of infertility in women in that the woman’s egg numbers keep reducing as she ages. In every cycle of menstruation, there is massive wastage of the ovules as only a few of them are ovulated yet several hundred are recruited from the ovaries. These wastage leads to the gradual depletion of the egg reserve in a woman and is more severe after she reaches the age of 35 and beyond ( Golombok, et al., 2002) . Therefore, it is the constant reduction in the number of ovules and their quality that reduce the chances of a woman getting pregnant or even having a miscarriage.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Underproduction of the thyroid stimulating hormone in females is also known to contribute to infertility and consequent difficulty in conceiving a child. Under secretion of the thyroid gland can be brought about by issues such as surgery, radiation treatment, and autoimmune diseases like Hashimoto’s disease (Malmquist, Björnstam, & Thunholm, 2019) . Women who experience low production of this hormone might not notice the condition until they go for a checkup. Infertility is brought about by the state due to the menstrual cycles being irregular and thus interference with the process of ovulation.
Fibroids can be defined as tumors that develop in a woman’s uterus. When these tumors are too big, they cause heavy menstrual flow that is associated with great pains in the abdominal region. The growths that manifest themselves on the walls of the uterus impact profoundly on the implantation of the embryo in the womb (Malmquist, Björnstam, & Thunholm, 2019) . When the growths become extremely large, they distort the uterine cavity hence could be the reason as to why the women have difficulty in conceiving children. It is not clear yet as the causative cause of the development of the tumors which at times have neither signs nor symptoms.
Difficulty in conception can also be related to pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), an infectious disease caused by bacteria that find their way to the uterus. The bacteria (in most cases Chlamydia ) are attributed to sexually transmitted disease hence they infect the vagina but with time move to the womb (Freeman, 2015) . If PID is not treated, it can lead to a painful swelling that has pus forming in the fallopian tube. These abscesses could, in turn, destroy the reproductive organs and consequent infertility in women.
In men, infertility can be caused by testicular cancer or better known as the cancer of the testicles. This infertility problem is caused by changes in the health status of the cells in the scrotum. These cells acquire abnormalities hence faults during replication thereby the cancer cells conglomerate to form a hard mass in the testicle (Freeman, 2015) . The condition is associated with genetic disorders like Klinefelter’s syndrome, and it is inheritable.
The place or type of work can also contribute to infertility in men. The kind of occupations that expose the man’s testicles to increased temperatures may have high potential consequences. For instance, men who constantly use their laptops on the lap, drivers, cyclists, and horse riders are just a few examples of such jobs. These types of situations lead to an increase in the temperature in the scrotal region. Consequently, low-quality sperms are produced and as the testicles require below the body temperature for quality production of sperm.
Sperm disorders linked to male disorders include irregular sperm role and low sperm count. These disorders can be attributed to a bacterial infection that can also instigate blockage of the epididymis. Problems related to ejaculation caused by diseases such as diabetes, prescriptions, spinal wounds, or even surgical procedures of the gall bladder are also caused by bacteria. Genetic disorders can also contribute to difficulty in conceiving in the male. Gene and chromosomal mutations can cause blockage to the sperm flow or even irregular sperm production (Freeman, 2015) . Inheritable syndromes such as cystic fibrosis, Down ’s syndrome, Kartagener’s syndrome, and Kallmann’s syndrome have been known to cause infertility in men.
The environment could also be a contributing factor to infertility even though it is not yet proven scientifically. Studies conducted on wildlife have suggested that the environmental contaminants such chemicals and heavy metals dumped haphazardly contributes to infertility in laboratory specimen and wildlife. In the cultural context, not having any children is a huge disability for the couple (Piaget, 2017) . On the other hand, research has shown that being sire offspring is traumatic and has a huge psychological impact and mostly it’s the women who are affected. Some of the commonly experienced effects include decreased sexual desire, depression, reduced ego, guilt, anxiety, and distress.
Nearly 10% of women (50 million) globally are said to be suffering from infertility even though the figures are much less if they are categorized into secondary and primary infertility. Primary infertility is those who have never had a biological offspring while secondary have at least had one live birth. In the US, nearly 10% of women (6.1 Million) have difficulty in receiving or carrying a pregnancy (Sullins, 2015) . In Los Angeles, the state has introduced sex education as part of the curriculum in state-owned schools hence children can be taught about infertility. Similarly, in Lancaster psychosocial intercessions with intentions to stop women from smoking during pregnancy are being implemented. Smoking is also known to be a causative agent of difficulties in conceiving a child.
There is no conclusive way in which the condition can be alleviated in totality except by dealing with the methods that have been identified to lead to the condition. For instance, through sex education and awareness campaigns, women should be advised to start early in life the quest for conception to avoid the age limitation. Injection with thyroid hormone can help while in the case of fibroids, the adoption of certain lifestyles is known to decrease the probability of contracting the disease (Piaget, 2017). Avoiding things like alcohol, high sugar substances, excessive consumption of red meat, and eating lots of vegetables like cauliflower, broccoli, and cabbages (they are rich in minerals) can reduce the risk. Since PID is transmitted through sexually transmitted bacteria, the best way to control it is by following the ABC rule of safe sex.
For men, it is advisable to have regular checkups for any early signs of testicular cancer as the condition has no treatment. Those who work in areas that expose them to increased temperatures around the testicles should find ways to avoid exposure. Generally, men should avoid contact with pesticides, illicit drugs, alcohol, heavy metals, vasectomy, toxins, and quit smoking.
References
Freeman, T. (2015). Gamete donation, information sharing and the best interests of the child: an overview of the psychosocial evidence. Monash bioethics review , 33 (1), 45-63.
Golombok, S., MacCallum, F., Goodman, E., & Rutter, M. (2002). Families with children conceived by donor insemination: a follow ‐ up at age twelve. Child Development , 73 (3), 952-968.
Malmquist, A., Björnstam, T., & Thunholm, A. (2019). Swedish Children of Single Mothers by Choice, and Children of Heterosexual Couples, Reflect on Child Conception and Other Paths to Parenthood. NORA-Nordic Journal of Feminist and Gender Research , 1-15.
Piaget, J. (2017). The child's conception of physical causality . Routledge.
Sullins, D. (2015). Emotional problems among children with same-sex parents: Difference by definition.
