WHAT IS INFERTILITY

Nearly every woman remembers her early days of being sexually active, when she lived in fear that any and all sexual experiences would result in pregnancy. It comes as a shock to find out later that conception can be difficult.

The truth is that human reproduction is an incredibly sensitive process that can be thrown off by many forces. So while it's natural to feel frustrated if you're having a hard time getting pregnant, you should know that fertility problems are both very common and in many cases reversible.

The first step is to educate yourself. As you'll see, infertility is a complex condition often caused by multiple factors. The more you understand, the better you'll be able to decide on a course of treatment.

This post defines infertility and outlines the various causes that can affect both women and men, from stress to environmental toxins, from nutritional deficiencies to sexual dysfunction. We set record straight on some of the myths about infertility, including the notion that it's strictly a question of hormones, eggs and sperm. And we discuss how fertility is inextricably linked to your overall physical and emotional health, as well as that of your partner.

The Facts About Infertility
The word infertility is commonly used, but little care is taken to define what it is - and what it isn't. Stated simply, infertility is the inability to get pregnant or carry a pregnancy to term. A diagnosis of infertility is generally made if, after 12 months of regular, unprotected intercourse (or insemination), conception hasn't occurred. Infertility also applies if a woman repeatedly conceives but can't maintain a pregnancy. Within medical circles, the words impaired fecundity are often used interchangeably with infertility. The term subfertile has a slightly different meaning, referring to the reduced fertility of a woman as they enter their late 30s.

Infertility, impaired fecundity, and subfertility should not be confused with sterility, which means that conception is impossible under any circumstances. Unless you've been told for a fact that you or your partner is sterile as a result of bilateral oophorectomy (surgical removal of both ovaries) or as a possible side effect of medical treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy, you probably won't know that you have a fertility problem until you start trying to get pregnant.

Primary Versus Secondary Infertility
There are two basic types of infertility: primary and secondary. Primary infertility is diagnosed if a woman has never been pregnant and has not conceived after 12 months of regular intercourse. Secondary infertility applies if a woman has been pregnant before but is having trouble conceiving again.

As discussed in this post, it's important to remember with both kinds of infertility that the problem may be with either the man or the woman. In some situations, both partners contribute to conception difficulties.