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Female Infertility
Infertility is defined as having unprotected sex for at least one year without
having a pregnancy, or becoming pregnant but miscarrying soon after.
Approximately 30% of infertility problems are thought to be caused by men while
another 30% are from problems with women. The remaining 40% are caused by a
combination of both the man and woman or are due to unknown factors.
Women who have problems with infertility often have problems with ovulation,
and this is known as Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS). These women's bodies
still make eggs, but those eggs don't mature properly, and thus are unable
to be fertilized by sperm. This problem is primarily caused by hormone
imbalances or irregularities. Sometimes the hormones are out of balance due to
improper nutrition, extra stress, or excess workouts.
Other female health problems can cause infertility as well, though. Some of
these include having blocked fallopian tubes from endometriosis, uterine
fibroids, pelvic inflammatory disease, or certain types of surgeries. Sometimes
there are also problems with the uterus itself.
Infertility can be caused by a number of other things too, and many women
aren't aware of some of these. Age plays a major role in fertility, for
instance. The ability to successfully have an egg fertilized decreases a little
around the age of thirty, more so by the age of 35, and it's drastically
reduced around the age of 40.
As a woman ages, her ovaries release less eggs ready to be fertilized. A woman's
health declines with age as well, and she's more likely to have specific
health problems, conditions or diseases which might interfere with the
fertilization process. The risks of miscarriage increase as women age too.
Common everyday lifestyle factors can cause infertility also.
Excessive stress, for instance, and poor diet or malnutrition are some causes
of infertility. Excessive athletic training can cause infertility, as can being
over or under weight, smoking tobacco, excessive alcohol, sexually transmitted
diseases and hormonal problems or imbalances.
Women who have problems with ovulation often experience irregular or non-existent
menstrual periods. If other health problems and conditions exist, these could
be causing the infertility problems as well. Some of the symptoms include
extremely painful menstrual periods, heavy blood flow during your menstrual
period, painful intercourse or bowel movements and more than one miscarriage.
Sources
http://www.mothernature.com/Library/Bookshelf/Books/62/52.cfm
http://www.womenshealth.gov/faq/infertility.htm
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