Library · Disease
Infertility
Make it clearer
Infertility is a disease of the reproductive system, and it can affect either the man or the woman. Its definition does not depend on a lab result but on a time frame: not having achieved a pregnancy after twelve months or more of regular, unprotected sex. What sets the definition is the calendar on the wall, not the result of a test.
Where it comes from depends on the system, and each one works like a route with several stations, any of which can be the point of failure. In the male system, the most common problems are trouble ejaculating semen, an absence or very low number of sperm, or abnormalities in their shape, called morphology, and their movement, called motility. In the female system, it can start in the ovaries, in the uterus, in the fallopian tubes, the ducts the egg travels through, or in the endocrine system, the hormone system.
And it comes with two labels worth telling apart. It is primary when a pregnancy has never been achieved, and secondary when at least one was achieved before. Sometimes, too, the cause cannot be explained.
In brief
Infertility is a disease of the male or female reproductive system: failure to achieve a pregnancy after twelve months or more of regular unprotected sex.
What sets the definition is the calendar, not a test.
In men it usually comes from problems ejaculating semen or from sperm number, shape, or movement; in women it can come from the ovaries, uterus, fallopian tubes, or endocrine system, among others.
It is primary if there has never been a pregnancy, secondary if there has already been one, and sometimes it goes unexplained.
Sources (1)
- World Health OrganizationInfertility, World Health Organization fact sheetPublished
This page explains the topic in general terms; it does not tell anyone what treatment to follow.
Updated