Infertility: The Role Of Fertility In Men And Women

Fertility is the ability to reproduce. Fertile men are those who have the ability to father children and fertile women are those who have the ability to become pregnant and ‘carry' her offspring for the whole 9 months. Men and women both have higher level of fertility from ages 16-25. As men and women age, the level of fertility begins to decrease, especially in the case of women since pregnancy rates for natural conception decrease from ages 35-40. Infertility is when a couple is unable to conceive even when having unprotected sex. According to the NHS, 1/7 couples experience difficulty conceiving, "This is approximately 3.5 million people in the UK."

In women, the most common cause of infertility is due to problems with ovulation which is the process by which an egg is released every month from the ovaries. There are many hormonal conditions which cause problems to ovulation such as Polycystic Ovary Syndrome(PCOS). This is a condition which makes it difficult for an ovary to produce an egg every month. The hormones LH (Luteinizing Hormone) and FSH (Follicle-Stimulating Hormone) are vital for ovulation as they signal an egg to develop and be released from the ovary. Injury to the hypothalamus, pituitary tumour's, being too skinny or being too
Medical treatments include fertility drugs such as clomiphene (a pill) and LH and FSH hormone injections which are the main treatments for women with ovulation disorders. Another treatment is IUI (Intrauterine Insemination) which is when a catherer (a thin flexible tube) is used to release sperm in vagina through it. IUI is done when the women is ovulating. IVF can also be used. Surgeries can be used too for women with blocked fallopian tubes depending the age of the women and the type of blocking involved in her