Causes of Infertility in Men and Women

Introduction

Different processes in the ovaries are responsible for the production of the female egg through the process of ovulation. Complications with the process of ovulation may lead to the infertility in women. Specifically, the absence or irregularities of ovulation is one of the leading factors that rigger infertility. Hormonal changes may interfere with the process of ovulation while injuries that affect the hypothalamus or pituitary glands directly affect the process of ovulation (Parekattil & Agarwal, 2012). Without successful ovulation, it is impossible for the women to produce an egg that requires fertilization pregnancy to occur. Stressful conditions also affect the ovulation process and prevent women from getting pregnant. Any dysfunction in the processes associated with ovulation eventually triggers infertility. It is impossible for women to exhibit fertility when ovulation does not occur. For this reason, ovulation represents one of the most critical reproductive processes that determine whether a woman can become pregnant.

Dysfunctions in the ovaries eventually affect the process of ovulation and make it difficult for the production of the ova. On the other hand, the process of spermatogenesis in the testis is responsible for the formation of sperms. Unfortunately, about 30-40% cases of male infertility occur because the process of spermatogenesis is impaired. Any dysfunction in spermatogenesis makes it difficult for males to produce sperms that are responsible for fertilizing the female egg. Different factors may affect the process of spermatogenesis making it difficult for men to release viable sperms (Agarwal, Aitken, & Alvarez, 2012). Some forms of dysfunction lead to the production of sperms that do not have the expected viability. As a result, men should be keen to identify any factors that may adversely affect the process of spermatogenesis. Men should avoid excessive heat around the testis or other hormonal factors that affect spermatogenesis.