Symptoms and Risk Factors of Infertility
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What Are The Symptoms and Risk Factors of Infertility?
Infertility is defined by World Health Organization (WHO) as the inability to conceive after a year or longer of unprotected sexual intercourse. Infertility affects approximately 10-15% of couples globally in their lifetime (1,2).
SYMPTOMS OF INFERTILITY
The main symptom of infertility is the inability of a couple to conceive a child after several attempts of having unprotected sex. In some cases, these symptoms of infertility are numerous.
· Pain in the testicles
· Erectile dysfunction
· Abnormal menstrual cycles
But some couples do not manifest a symptom and the cause of infertility remains unexplained.
RISK FACTORS OF INFERTILITY
Several behaviors increase the risk of infertility. If you’re having difficulty getting pregnant, here are the main risk factors of infertility for both men and women.
1. Age
Fertility declines with age in women, and fertility declines from the age of 30.
According to a study, an increased proportion of women make their first attempts to conceive when they are over 30 years of age. Natural fertility starts to decrease beyond 30 years of age, with a major decline in fertility noted after 37 years of age
Over 41 years of age, the chances of having a baby decrease on average to almost zero (3).
This can be explained by the fact that eggs produced at this age more frequently contain genetic anomalies. Men above age 40 also have reduced fertility.
2. Tobacco and alcohol consumption
Smoking reduces a couple’s chance of conceiving a child. In a recent study, smoking was found to be significantly related to infertility (4).
Miscarriages are common among smokers (5). This applies also to alcohol. Excessive alcohol is not the best way to boost fertility.
3. Weight Issues
Suffering from eating disorders such as anorexia can affect a woman’s menstrual cycle, thus reducing her fertility.
Underweight women in addition to anorexia experience miscarriages and sexual dysfunction according to this study (6).
Another study done on 52 women aged 20 to 38 years showed significant evidence that obesity negatively affects women’s fertility. The women were divided into two groups: infertile and fertile. The group of infertile women was 7.5 – fold more likely to be obese than fertile women (6).
Being overweight can lead to difficulties to reproduce. If you want to lose weight to improve your fertility, take note that heavy physical activity can disrupt ovulation.
PREVENTION OF INFERTILITY
You can take some preventive measures to improve and boost your fertility in case of difficulties in getting pregnant.
Infertility is hard to prevent, but there are several ways you can increase your chance of getting pregnant.
The following preventive measures can improve fertility in both women and men.
1. Reduce your caffeine intake
2. Avoid excessive alcohol consumption
3. No smoking
4. Control your weight
5. Avoid eating trans fatty foods
6. Exercise reasonably and regularly
In males, while too much sex won’t cause infertility, you may wonder about the effect of frequent ejaculation on the potency of your sperm, and whether having frequent sex, or masturbation, lowers the quality of your sperm (7).
Did you know that going a few days without ejaculating slightly increases a man’s sperm count? But while more frequent sex or masturbation may slightly lower your sperm, it’s unlikely to affect your fertility. No matter how often you ejaculate, you won’t run out of sperm cells.
Several studies have researched semen samples from men who ejaculated several times a day. Researchers found that while the sperm count reduced with each successive sample, it didn’t fall below what was a healthy sperm count by experts. Results also didn’t appear to affect the quality of sperm, motility, or shape, which are all important factors in fertility (8).
When you're trying to conceive and it doesn't happen straight away, it can be difficult. But remember that conception takes up to a year, even with regular sex. You and your partner should talk to your General Practitioner if you have been trying to get pregnant for more than a year. Also, if your partner's above 35, see your General Practitioner after six months. They'll explain your treatment options and can refer you to a fertility expert if needed.
Lauretta Iyamu (she/her) is a freelance medical writer and health content strategist. She completed her Doctor of Pharmacy degree (PharmD) at the University of Benin, Nigeria, and holds a Postgraduate diploma certificate in Clinical Research. Lauretta has over five years of experience in various patient-facing roles as a clinical pharmacist and over 9 years of experience in the healthcare industry researching, reporting, editing, and producing a variety of health and web content. Her passion is to convey scientific research and innovation to a broader audience by presenting it in a simpler way.
Medical Disclaimer:
The information provided in this blog is intended for general informational purposes only and should not be considered as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your healthcare provider or qualified medical professional with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read in this blog.
References
WHO. Global prevalence of infertility, infecundity and childlessness. World Health Organization, 2015. [Accessed June 2022]
Greil AL. Infertility and psychological distress: a critical review of the literature. Soc Sci Med 1997;45:1679–704. 10.1016/s0277-9536(97)00102-0 [Accessed June 2022]
Frank J. Broekmans, Bart C.J.M. Fauser, Chapter 132 - Female Infertility: Evaluation and Management, doi.10.1016/B978-0-323-18907-1.00132-3. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780323189071001323) [Accessed June 2022]
Klemetti R, Raitanen J, Sihvo S, et al. Infertility, mental disorders and well-being--a nationwide survey. Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand 2010; 89:677–82. 10.3109/00016341003623746 [Accessed June 2022]
Stillman RJ, Rosenberg MJ, Sachs BP. Smoking and reproduction. Fertil Steril. 1986 Oct;46(4):545-66. doi: 10.1016/s0015-0282(16)49628-7. PMID: 3530822. [Accessed June 2022]
Boutari C, Pappas PD, Mintziori G, Nigdelis MP, Athanasiadis L, Goulis DG, Mantzoros CS. The effect of underweight on female and male reproduction. Metabolism. 2020 Jun; 107:154229. doi: 10.1016/j.metabol.2020.154229. Epub 2020 Apr 11. PMID: 32289345. [Accessed June 2022]
Comar VA, et al. 2017. Influence of the abstinence period on human sperm quality: analysis of 2,458 semen samples JBRA Assist Reprod. Oct-Dec; 21(4): 306–312. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov [Accessed June 2022]
Mayorga-Torres BJ, Camargo M, Agarwal A, du Plessis SS, Cadavid ÁP, Cardona Maya WD. Influence of ejaculation frequency on seminal parameters. Reprod Biol Endocrinol. 2015 May 21; 13:47. doi: 10.1186/s12958-015-0045-9. PMID: 25994017; PMCID: PMC4445565. [Accessed June 2022]
