Signs of Infertility in Men and Women Every Couple Should Know

Signs of infertility in women and men differ. Women can be suffering from pain during sexual intercourse, irregular, heavy or painful periods, hormonal disbalance. Signs of infertility in men include changes in sexual desire, problems with erection and ejaculation, testicles abnormalities. To give you more insights concerning these infertility symptoms we will overview each of them in detail. 

No doubt, planning a family is one of the most thrilling and life-changing decisions for every couple. It is really essential to ensure both you and your partner are in the best health condition to conceive a baby. The biggest thread that causes the issues with getting pregnant is infertility.  Either person or both partners at the same time are equally likely to be the cause of failed pregnancy.

Accordingly,  it is really important to act responsibly with regard to this process, identify any infertility symptoms and manage the problems as soon as possible.

They say ignorantia legis non excusat so in this article, we will cover the definition, define the main signs of infertility, consider the main causes that affect fertility and check the main ways of coping with them. 

First of all, let’s define what infertility is and how it may be keeping you from childbearing. 

What Is Infertility?

Infertility is a condition of the reproductive system defined by the failure to conceive a child or sustain a pregnancy after 12 months or more of unprotected intercourse. 

There are two types of infertility: primary and secondary:

• Primary infertility occurs in couples who have never had children. 
• Secondary infertility comes up in partners who achieved pregnancy previously but are unable to conceive at this time. 

The causes and treatments of primary and secondary infertility are nearly the same.  In order to understand it better, let’s overview them more precisely.

Reasons

• impaired sperm production;
• fallopian tube damage;
• ovulation disorders;
• uterine conditions in women;
• abortions;
• complications related to undergone surgeries;
• a physiological cause in the man or woman;
• “unexplained infertility” is another very common reason.

Risks

• aging (fertility markedly decreases in women over 35 and for man after the age of 40);
• eating disorders such as excessive weight gain or underweight;
• sexually transmitted infections;
• mental stress;
• use of medications;
• lifestyle factors;
• addictions to alcohol, smoking, alcohol, drugs.

Diagnostics

• a basal hormone study;
• an ultrasound scan;
• hysterosalpingography (a fluoroscopy X-ray of the reproductive system);
• a seminogram test.

Treatment

• IVF (In Vitro Fertilisation);
• sperm donation;
• egg donation;
• surrogate and gestational carriers.

It is important to remember that there is no need to be ashamed of experiencing such a condition. It’s common for couples to face infertility and, nowadays, there are a lot of safe and effective ways that help successfully handle it.

Moreover, there are visible infertility symptoms that help to recognize the problem and cope with it as soon as possible.  

What Are the Common Signs of Infertility in Women and Men?

As we already mentioned, infertility can affect people of all sexes. Let’s check the warning infertility signs that are necessary to be aware of in case you or your partner have a suspicion that you’re struggling with infertility.

Signs of Infertility in Women

1. First signs of infertility – ovulation disorders 

Ovulation is a vital process of good health in women. The ovulation disorder is one of the most visible infertility signs that show hormonal imbalance and can hugely contribute to infertility. If a woman is experiencing irregular, painful and heavy periods it is really important to notify the doctor and get her fertility checked.

2. Amenorrhea 

The amenorrhea is another crucial infertility sign that requires a doctor’s advice. It can be primary (failure of menses to occur by age 16) and secondary (when you miss a period for 3 months in a row or more or an absence of menstruation).

3. Hormone fluctuations

Hormone fluctuations are one more vivid sign of a woman’s infertility. Be careful of such hormone fluctuations as skin issues, reduced sex drive, facial hair growth, weight gain as they all could indicate infertility.

4. Pain during sex  

Another infertility symptom is painful sexual intercourse. It is not normal and can be caused by endometriosis (a disorder in which tissue that normally lines the inside of your uterus grows outside), or other underlying conditions such as sexually transmitted infections (chlamydia, gonorrhea etc).

5. Psychological factor

Exacerbate anxiety, depression, and stress impact the fertility of a woman. Such things as past psychological traumas, nutritional disorders childhood diseases can also lead to psychological impotence.

Signs of Infertility in Men 

It’s more difficult to detect signs of infertility in men, so those symptoms may go unnoticed until a man tries to have a baby. The first step to determine signs of infertility in men is to get a sperm count test done.

1. Testicle pain or swelling

Testicular swelling may be perceived when there is localized enlargement of a testicle or a more generalized enlargement of the scrotum. It may be one-sided or bilateral and may or may not be accompanied by pain and other symptoms. 

2. Problems with erection

Erection problems occur when a man can’t achieve or maintain an erection that is firm enough to have sexual intercourse. This infertility caused by decreased blood flow because vessels that supply blood to the penis have become narrowed.

 3. Ejaculatory disorder

The most common problems are premature (the male ejaculates too quickly during sexual intercourse), delayed(a significant delay before ) and retrograde(producing no semen, or only a small amount, during ejaculation) ejaculation.

4. Changes in sexual desire

One more infertility symptom is decreasing of sexual desire. If your sex drive is weaker than it once was or you have no interest in any type of sexual activity.

5. Infections

Sexually transmitted diseases like gonorrhea, HIV and some types of infections can affect the health and production of sperm. Moreover, they can cause scarring that blocks the passage of sperm.

How to Сheck for Infertility and What Is the Treatment?

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For both partners, infertility is a challenging process to overcome both physically and emotionally. Despite this, there is no universal treatment or cure for infertility as every case depends on the underlying cause, it does not need to be too upsetting or stressful. 

Appointment at reproductologist can help you figure out what’s causing your fertility problems and find the best treatment for you. Since infertility is not simply a woman’s problem, evaluating both members ensures the most effective treatments can be recommended.

Let’s make an overview of the necessary tests.

Infertility Tests for Men

In order to check for infertility, the doctor requires to know the man’s medical history, sexual habits, medications or herbal supplements that he takes. It is also necessary to carry out a physical examination. The testicles will be checked for lumps or deformities, and the shape and structure of the penis will be examined for abnormalities. Furthermore, a man may need to undergo the following medical tests:

Semen analysis (seminogram)

Since male infertility is often caused by low sperm production, a sample may be taken to test for sperm concentration, motility, color, quality, any infections. To get the most accurate results, your doctor will want to test more than one sample. 

Blood test

 The lab will test for levels of testosterone and other hormones.

Ultrasound

It may reveal issues such as ejaculatory duct obstruction or retrograde ejaculation.

Chlamydia test

The presence of this infection may be indicated from a sample of your urine analyzed in the laboratory.

Infertility Tests for Women

A woman will undergo a general physical examination, in order to check for infertility. The doctor should look into your medical history to see how it could affect your ability to get pregnant, ask about her medical history, medications, menstruation cycle, and sexual habits. 

The following tests may be required as well:

Blood test

This can assess hormone levels and whether a woman is ovulating.

Hysterosalpingography

It is an x-ray examination of a woman’s uterus and fallopian tubes.

Laparoscopy

 Laparoscopy is a surgical procedure doctors use to view a woman’s reproductive organs. It can reveal signs of endometriosis, scarring, blockages. Moreover, it can detect some irregularities of the uterus and fallopian tubes.

Also, a couple can face with unexplained infertility, however even that is not a reason to give up. With the modern level of medicine, there are numerous progressive approaches to help infertile couples.

What Are the Most Common Fertility Treatments?

Here are the most common fertility treatments that can help increase your chances of having a baby. Moreover, after consulting with the doctor, you and your partner can decide which treatment gives you the best chance of having a healthy pregnancy.

Intrauterine insemination (IUI)

 Intrauterine insemination (IUI) is a form of treatment where sperm is inserted into the uterine cavity around the time of ovulation.

In-vitro fertilization (IVF)

 In vitro fertilization (IVF) is a process of fertilization where an egg is combined with sperm outside the body. The process involves monitoring and stimulating a woman’s ovulatory process, removing an egg or eggs from the woman’s ovaries and letting sperm fertilize them in a liquid in a laboratory.

Egg donation 

It is the process by which a woman donates eggs to enable another woman to conceive as part of an assisted reproduction treatment or for biomedical research.

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Signs of Infertility – Related Posts

In order to get more information, feel free to check the related posts below.

• Infertility Common Causes – Facts About Male and Female Infertility
• Hostile Uterus – Meaning, Definition, Symptoms & Treatment
• Risk of Egg Donation – Does It Harm Your Health and Fertility?
• PCOS Syndrome – Polycystic Ovary Syndrome and Fertility

And, of course, feel free to contact our Sunshine agency for a free consultation if you have any questions or concerns. We will do our best to help you to give birth to a child enjoy parental happiness