Infertility is defined by the International Council on Infertility Information Dissemination (INCID) as a man and a woman who have been unable to conceive after a full year of unprotected intercourse. Infertility is caused by both men and women, and sometimes the problem is a shared one. This article discusses some of the common causes of infertility in both men and women.

Primary fertility is described as when a man and a woman have tried to conceive, but have never achieved a pregnancy together. There are many possible causes of primary infertility including a wide range of physical and emotional factors.

The first is Endometriosis. Endometriosis is a condition where the tissue that lines the uterus, (endometrial tissue,) sheds each month with the period but grows back outside the uterus. Symptoms of this particular condition include painful menstruation, irregular or heavy bleeding and repeated miscarriages. Fortunately, there are surgical solutions for women experiencing endometriosis. Using Leparoscopic surgery you can remove tissue and unblock tubes. After an laparoscopic surgery forty to sixty percent are able to conceive within a year and a half after surgery.

Ovulation problems are also a common condition that results in infertility in women. Endometriosis is a condition where the tissue that lines the uterus, (endometrial tissue,) sheds each month with the period but grows outside the uterus. This is usually due to a hormonal imbalance. There are drugs on the market that help stimulate proper ovulation. Some examples are human chorionic gonadotrophin and Clomiphene. With proper treatment, seventy percent of women are able to achieve ovulation while twenty to sixty percent are able to get pregnant.

Another common problem that affects fertility in women is egg quality. In certain circumstances a woman's eggs can become damaged in such a way as to not sustain a pregnancy. Usually egg quality problems are due to advanced age because the overall quality of eggs declines as a woman reaches her late thirties and early forties. Unfortunately there are no ways to treat egg deterioration due to aging. Egg donation or surrogacy is a solution that many couples use when running into problems associated with egg quality. Around forty-three percent of women who receive a fertilized egg from a donor are able to become pregnant.

Infertility can be attributed to the man between thirty-five and forty percent of the time. Male tube blockages is one of the most common conditions experienced by men unable to properly fertilize an egg. A tube blockage includes anything that obstructs the vas deferens or epididymuis. The blockage stops sperm from making the journey from the testicles proper delivery. It is possible to use surgery to discover, isolate and repair obstructions. Of those who undergo surgery to repair tube blockages, around forty percent are capable of properly impregnating their partner within twelve months of the surgery.

Another common problem for men experiencing infertility has to do with the sperm itself. If a man has a low sperm count, it could be that fertility drugs are needed to boost the production of sperm. Another option is artificial insemination, where a doctor injects sperm from a donor directly into an egg. Artificial insemination results in about a twenty-five percent success rate.

Less than ten percent of men and women who are infertile have negative reactions to sperm. For couples who are experiencing problems related to sperm allergy, a number of sperm cleaning solutions are available. Intrauterine insemination and assisted conception treatments are two examples of solutions for those experiencing sperm allergy. The rate of success is believed to be anywhere between the twenty and forty percent range, though the numbers are sometimes debated.

Finally, between twenty and thirty-five percent of all fertility problems for both men and women go unexplained. Studies have shown that fifteen to thirty percent of couples that are experiencing fertility problems are able to conceive within five years. For those who are not able to conceive with that five year time period, less than ten percent are able to conceive without some type of medical intervention.

There are a number of reasons that a couple may be experiencing fertility concerns. As discussed above, each major condition associated with fertility problems has either a direct solution or suggested method for overcoming the concern. Hopefully a greater understanding of what causes infertility will help put some couples at ease and realize that they are non alone.