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Marriage and Family Life: The EarlyYears

Infertility

Medicalscienceincreasinglyprovides
optionsforcoupleswishingtoconceive.
Infertilityisdefinedastheinabilityto
conceiveafter1yearof trying(after6
monthsforwomenover30).About12%of
womenages15-44,orabout
1outof 10,haddifficultygettingpregnant
orcarryingababytotermin2002
(Nouriani,2006).Femaleproblemsaccount
foronethirdof infertilitycases,whilemale
problemsaccountforanotherthirdand
mixed—bothmaleandfemale—problems

accountforanotherthird.Certainfactors

increasetheriskof infertilityinbothmen

andwomen.Figure6.3liststheseforboth

sexes.Asyoulookatthelist,thegoodnews

isthatmanyof themarepreventable.

Manynewtreatmentapproachesto

fertilityhavegiveninfertilecouplesnewhope

forhavingachild.Assistedreproductive

technology(ART)isatermused to describe

several methods used to assist infertile

couples.ART sometimes involves the use

of donor eggs,donor sperm or previously

frozen embryos.Donor eggs and sperm

are sometimes used when a woman has a

Figure 6.3

Causes of Infertility

What increases a man’s risk of infertility?

The number and quality of a man’s sperm

can be affected by his overall health and

lifestyle.Some things that may reduce

sperm number and/or quality include:

•Alcohol

•Drugs

•Environmental toxins,including

pesticides and lead

•Smoking

•Health problems

•Medicines

•Radiation treatment and

chemotherapy for cancer

•Age

What increases a woman’s risk of infertility?

Many things can affect a woman’s ability to

have a baby.These include:

•Healthproblemsthatcausehormonal

changes

•Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)

•Age

•Stress

•Poor diet

•Athletic training

•Being overweight or underweight

•Smoking

•Alcohol

Source:Nouriani,M.2006.InfertilityOffice on Women’s Health in the Department of Health and Human Services.

http://www.womenshealth.gov/faq/infertility.pdf (accessed June 24,2009).