Question

Give an account of infertility in human beings.

Answer 1

Infertility is a condition in humans in which an individual loses the ability to reproduce by natural methods. Individuals perform all other processes required for living normally but fail to reproduce with intercourse.

Complete answer:
Infertility is the inability of a person to become pregnant or carry on a full pregnancy. There are many reasons behind infertility.

Causes of infertility in men:
a) Low sperm count: In ejaculation, if sperm count is less than fifteen million sperms than sperm count is considered to be low. Sperm count lowers with the age and with consumption of alcohol, smoking and other drugs may also affect the sperm count in men. One-third of couples have problems conceiving due to lower sperm count.

b) Sperm mobility: Sperms need to move and reach the egg for the successful fertilization but sometimes, the sperm is not able to swim and generally dies before reaching the egg. So, sperms may have low motility or mobility.

c) Abnormal sperm: It may be possible that sperm count and sperm mobility is good but sperm is not healthy, genetically or structurally. Due to its different shape, it will be difficult to move inside the egg for fertilization.

Causes of female fertility:
a) Ovulation disorders:
- Premature ovarian failure: In some females, ovaries stop working before the age of forty. Due to which, chances of pregnancy are reduced.
- Hyperprolactinemia: Prolactin is hormone produced inside the females and if it is produced in excess, or the amount of this hormone is higher than the saturation amount females cannot get pregnant. It may also affect ovulation and breastfeeding.
- Egg quality: In some cases, due to improper diet or lack of nutrition, egg produced is not healthy. It is also possible that egg is genetically abnormal.

b) Chronic disorders: Diseases like cancer, AIDS or STDs may also affect the chances of reproduction in both males as well as females.

c) Age: With the growing age, in both males and females, chances of infertility increases.

Note: Other factors like smoking, drinking, improper diet, overweight, chemical exposure, etc. may also increase the chances of infertility. Sexually transmitting infections (STIs) like Chlamydia, have the ability to damage the fallopian tube of females and it causes inflammations in the scrotum of males. Thus, STIs can also cause infertility.