STERILITY

FEMALE AND MALE STERILITY

 

Infertility is usually defined as the inability to conceive a child after having had sexual intercourse without contraception for a year and culminating in vaginal coitus.
Infertility affects approximately 10% of couples of childbearing age. About 30% of infertility cases are attributable to a problem of female origin, an equal number is due to difficulties of male origin, and finally 30% of cases are attributable either to both members of the couple or to an unknown cause which will never be discovered.
A couple should not consider themselves infertile until they have tried unsuccessfully for at least 6 months, if the woman is 35 or over, or for at least a year if the woman is under 35. If pregnancy has not occurred after this time, consult your doctor. Fortunately, it is not uncommon for couples to be surprised to conceive a child without the help of treatment after several years of unsuccessful attempts.

Causes

Both female and male infertility can result from a variety of medical conditions and problems.

Female infertility is influenced by:

• age;
• sexually transmitted chlamydial infections, among others;
• damage to the ovaries;
• a blockage of the fallopian tubes;
• hypothyroidism (a disorder of the thyroid);
• endometriosis (a disorder characterized by the presence of cells of the lining of the uterus outside the uterus);
• polycystic ovary syndrome;
• the presence of scars in the uterus;
• fibroids (benign tumors on the smooth muscle of the uterus);
• congenital conditions such as cystic fibrosis;
• exercises that are too intense (leading to a lack of periods);
• anorexia or bulimia;
• frequent weight variations;
• cervical lesions (eg following an abortion or the dilation and curettage process [D and C]).

Infertility is more common today because more people decide to have children later. But since women's fertility declines with age, women in their 40s, and those who have passed, naturally have more difficulty conceiving, even with treatment. The examinations which constitute the assessment of female infertility reveal the presence of endometriosis for 25% to 50% of women.

Some women have repeated miscarriages. They are often due to disorders of the immune system, genetic problems, hormonal causes or, occasionally, a slight malformation of the uterus. Sometimes, perfectly healthy couples fail to conceive because the mucus produced by the lining of the cervix hinders the movement of sperm to the uterus. The couple may consider their genital life as "incompatible", but this is a peculiarity that can be treated. In some cases, the sperm fail to enter a woman's egg, but the method of in vitro fertilization, or IVF, is one form of treatment for this other abnormality.

Another possible cause of female infertility is hyperprolactinemia. This is a condition characterized by a sharp increase in the blood level of prolactin, the hormone that normally stimulates the production of breast milk. Excessive secretion of prolactin can interfere with ovulation and menstruation. Factors like nervous tension, marijuana, and hypothyroidism are believed to play a role in increasing prolactin levels. Some prescription drugs can also cause high prolactin levels. It happens, but rarely, that a very small tumor of the pituitary gland, a gland located at the base of the brain, is responsible for this excessive secretion, but this disorder is easily treated with drugs.

Women who have used birth control pills or injections, vaginal rings and transdermal patches in the past sometimes wonder if these products are still affecting their fertility. There is no evidence that birth control pills, vaginal rings, or transdermal patches increase the risk of infertility. After you stop taking these medicines, however, you may decide not to have fertile sex until at least one menstrual cycle has passed. Your ovarian cycle could thus regulate itself naturally, since its duration will no longer be fixed by contraceptive methods. However, if you had a period that happened at irregular intervals, or too far apart, before you started using "the pill," or any of the hormonal methods of birth control, your period will most likely be the same as you did. in the past. In other words, if your period occurs once a month or once every 2 months or so, your cycle will recover at that rate.

Intrauterine devices (IUDs) prevent fertilization, but there is no evidence to show that this method poses an increased risk of female infertility. Women who use birth control injections may have to wait for their periods and fertility to return for up to a year. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist to find out if your birth control method is responsible for your infertility and, if so, how long its influence may continue to last.

The causes of male infertility are:

• a hormonal disorder;
• the tobacco ;
• conditions and situations that expose the testicles to excess heat such as exercise, hot water, tight clothing, prolonged sitting (eg for truckers);
• cancer drugs, radiotherapy;
• mumps after puberty;
• sexually transmitted infections;
• anatomical abnormalities of the genitals such as an undescended testicle;
• drugs such as antihypertensives, antidepressants and male hormones; • genital trauma;
• prostate surgery;
• varicose veins of the testicles;
• excessive alcohol consumption;
• problematic sex because it takes place outside the fertile window or ends in premature withdrawal;
• a spinal cord injury;
• genetic abnormalities;
• urinary tract infection;
• cystic fibrosis;
• the use of illicit substances (eg cocaine, marijuana);
• opiates;
• steroids.

Some men have a predisposition to infertility problems. The following factors contribute to the occurrence of the risk of infertility:
• diabetes ;
• an unbalanced diet;
• smoking (low sperm count and erectile failure);
• hot baths;
• being overweight or underweight.
• Commercial lubricants which are likely to kill sperm, or reduce their motility (their ability to move)

The environment can also influence fertility. A drop in sperm count has been observed in industrialized countries, and is attributed to environmental factors that have not been specifically identified.

Among the different types of male infertility, we find:

• azoospermia - an absence of sperm in the emitted semen;
• oligospermia - a lack of sperm in the emitted semen;
• asthenospermia - sperm are present but their motility is below normal;
• teratospermia - a high proportion of sperm has an abnormal shape;
• retrograde ejaculation - the conduit that sperm normally pass through is blocked and the emitted semen may flow back to the bladder.


Diagnostic

There are dozens of possible tests to determine the origin of both male and female infertility. Your doctor will first get your medical history and ask you to write down various information such as the woman's menstrual cycle, the timing of sex, etc.

When it comes to men, the diagnosis is based on the sperm count. In order to perform a sperm count, a man must provide a sample of his ejaculate. This sample is examined under a microscope. Various biochemical analyzes allow us to glean data on the shape, motility and survival capacity of sperm. In some cases, the sperm will be examined to see if they can penetrate the membrane of an egg. For this last test, hamster eggs are used.

A physical exam of the reproductive system along with an examination of the levels of various hormones are the first things a woman should check. These results provide clues not only to the cause of infertility, but also to the likelihood of successful treatment. An ultrasound is often ordered to look at the shape of the uterus, check for fibroids, look for cysts on the ovary, and many other abnormalities. After a dye is injected into the cervix, an X-ray will check if the fallopian tubes are blocked.

The diagnosis will also be based on the results of other examinations, in particular a laparoscopy, or a hysteroscopy carried out by means of a tube equipped with a camera and allowing to explore the uterine region in order to identify signs of abnormalities such as endometriosis or tubal obstruction, and other factors of infertility.

Treatment and Prevention

The best way to prevent infertility is to avoid or reduce risky practices

Since venereal conditions such as chlamydial infection, and gonorrhea (sweating), can lead to infertility, it is important to take precautions to avoid them, and to recognize the characteristics that will allow for early diagnosis. diagnosis and seek treatment as soon as symptoms appear. The practice of intense physical exercise reduces fertility in both men and women as well as successive weight fluctuations that can cause hormonal imbalance. It is therefore advisable to reduce the intensity of physical exercises

There are several hormonal treatments that can treat female infertility, they are available in the form of pills and injections. Generally, hormonal treatments are less expensive than other fertilization treatments. However, when you factor in the costs incurred for processes that improve fertility, such as sperm washing and in vitro fertilization or IVF techniques, the cost quickly rises. Fertilizer stimulants are also likely to increase the likelihood of multiple pregnancy (eg development of twins, triplets) and their use requires increased medical supervision.


There are several techniques that increase a woman's chances of procreating.
In the practice of in vitro fertilization or IVF, hormones are used to stimulate the production of several eggs which are then taken for fertilization outside the body. In one of the techniques used, the eggs are placed in a container where sperm are added. Technicians determine which eggs have been fertilized (the embryos), and those eggs are inserted into the uterus. Any remaining eggs can be frozen for later insertion. This is called embryo transfer. In another technique called intracytoplasmic sperm injection or ICSI, eggs are removed from a woman's body and a sperm is injected into one of them. This technique is performed on multiple eggs when the sperm count is low, or when a sperm has failed to fertilize an egg during the in vitro fertilization or IVF technique.
The costs associated with these procedures as well as the potential health protection vary from province to province in Canada. It may be that a few private insurance plans pay part of the costs. The chances of getting pregnant depend on the age of the woman and the presence of factors of male infertility. Only a fertility specialist can assess a person's chances of success. While the IVF technique has a high success rate, couples who find it worth trying should realize that its success rate is not always 100% satisfactory.

Over the years, it has been noticed that IVF tends to lead to twin pregnancies. In fact, 25% of children born from these pregnancies were twins, while only 1% of pregnancies obtained without assisted reproduction techniques produced twins. The birth of triplets, quadruplets and quintuplets is also possible when IVF is used. Premature births, miscarriages and birth defects are more commonly linked to multiple pregnancies. Therefore, fertility clinic teams and fertility specialists exercise great caution in lowering this possibility by transplanting the minimum number of embryos needed to give a reasonable chance of success. You will take part in making decisions regarding the number of embryos transferred. Eggs that are not transferred to the uterus are often frozen for later insemination.

Natural solution with FERTILITY

Fertility for men: Fertility H

Action

Increases the quantity, quality and mobility of sperm.

Fertility for women: Fertility F

Action

Hormonal balance and menstrual cycle; Promotes the removal of fibroids and cysts. Can be associated with Fibromeda. Corrects ovarian dystrophies and blocked tubes.