Query to google “signs that i’m infertile” have two reasons: curiosity or anxiety. In the first case, this is a question of a person who is currently not interested in having children, in the second one, it is most likely generated by the inability to achieve the desired pregnancy. This article is about signs of infertility in women and men equally useful to both categories of people.
Risk factors for infertility, early and warning signs of infertility
One of the most common fears is the hereditary inability to have children. In fact, only diseases that can cause problems with childbearing can be inherited. Difficulties with conception in your mother or close relatives are not at all a sign that you can’t get pregnant.
In reality risk factors for infertility are the following:
- Age (over 35 for women, over 40 for men);
- Smoking (both men and women);
- Alcohol and drug use (both women and men);
- Overweight (fertility decreases in women, pathological changes in spermatozoa are possible in men);
- Low body weight (in women with a significant body weight deficit, fertility is critically reduced);
- Increased physical activity (women may stop ovulating);
- Sedentary lifestyle (reduces fertility in both men and women);
- Sexually transmitted infections (one of the main risk factors for infertility among women, can lead to inflammation of the testicles in men).
- Exposure to harmful substances (working conditions (vibrations), interaction with chemicals can disrupt both male and female fertility);
- Severe or chronic stress (impairs ovulation in women and spermatogenesis in men).
Important! A warning sign of infertility that requires consultation with a reproductive specialist is the absence of pregnancy after 12 months of regular intercourse without contraception. For women over the age of 35, the period is reduced to 6 months. Do not rush to search until the indicated deadlines signs that you can’t get pregnant: in the first three months without contraception, pregnancy occurs only in 30% of couples, in the next 6 months – in 60%, in the remaining 10% – from 10 to 12 months.
Others symptoms of female and male infertility are:
- Women have one of the most early and warning signs of infertility ― complete absence of menstruation. It is also necessary to consult a doctor for any other menstrual disorders (irregularity, excessive or scanty discharge, painful menstruation);
- One more pretty early sign of infertility, noticeable in a girl since adolescence ― excess male hormones. In appearance, this manifests itself in the form of excessive hair growth on the body, very oily skin of the face and head, acne and seborrhea. Also, underdevelopment of the mammary glands may be a sign of infertility.
- Infections of the genitourinary system greatly affect a woman’s ability to conceive and bear children, so their presence can be considered asf emale infertility symptom.
- A woman measuring basal temperature notices the absence of its increase on ovulatory days. It’s a pretty reliable symptom of female infertility. An easier way to fix this sign of infertility is to use special test strips to determine ovulation.
- Underdevelopment of the corpus luteum is also a sign of female infertility. An external sign of this pathology is a too short second phase of the menstrual cycle (normally it lasts 12-14 days), early miscarriages.
- Overweight or underweight may also be a symptom of female infertility. Sudden fluctuations in weight in one direction or another is a very serious reason to visit a gynecologist.
- Visually identifiable infertility symptoms in men are little. Hormonally conditioned infertility can be manifested by reduced or absent libido. A small amount of ejaculate should also be alarming.
- Indirect signs of infertility in men can be considered diseases that affect the ability to conceive (varicocele, STIs, inflammation of the prostate gland).
Important! Listed infertility symptoms in men and women do not clearly indicate the impossibility of conceiving a child. These are conditions that serve as an indicator of problems in the body that can lead to infertility. Obviously, small breasts are not a sign of infertility by their own. Therefore, any independent observations of external signs of infertility in women and men require confirmation by a doctor.
Any pain in the pelvic area should be the reason for visiting a gynecologist. A man should be wary of an increase in the mammary glands – this is an occasion to visit an endocrinologist.
It should be noted that some signs of infertility in women can be detected during an ultrasound examination (malformations of the organs of reproduction), in the study of thyroid hormones and others, tests for STIs and other infections. Comprehensive examinations can also reveal male infertility symptoms in the form of diseases that prevent conception.
Some signs of female infertility may be the result of traumatic brain injury or tumors in the brain. The level of hormones necessary for the occurrence of pregnancy with tumors and TBI can rise or fall. This symptom of infertility in women may or may not have external manifestations. For diagnosis, you will need to undergo an MRI and analysis for hormones.
The general plan for examining a woman if she doubts her ability to get pregnant:
- Collection of anamnesis.
- Study of hormonal status.
- Analysis for STIs.
- Ultrasound of the reproductive system.
- Cytological examination of smears from the vagina, cervical canal, cervix.
With the observed symptoms of male infertility a reliable way to confirm or remove suspicions is to undergo a spermogram. The study will determine whether spermatozoa capable of fertilization are present in the ejaculate. For men stating trauma or surgery as “signs that I am infertile” there is good news – even a fifth of the testicle is able to produce enough germ cells to become a father.
In addition to spermogram, a man undergoes the following examinations:
- In the absence of spermatozoa in the ejaculate, testicle biopsy.
- Tests for STIs.
- Analyzes for conditionally pathogenic microflora that can cause chronic inflammation of the genitourinary system.
- Genitography (X-ray with contrast of the vas deferens).
- Ultrasound of the prostate.
- Analysis of testosterone levels.
- CT scan of the brain (if a pathology of the pituitary gland is suspected).
If pregnancy does not occur in the absence of infertility symptoms and good results of medical examinations and studies, the cause is probably psychological infertility. The phenomenon requires work with the psychologist of both future parents.
If there are no medical, psychological or other signs that you cannot get pregnant – the inability to conceive has an unclear genesis. In this case, the couple needs reproductive technologies (IVF, surrogacy).
For more than 20 years of work, Feskov Human Reproduction Group doctors have seen thousands of men and women with various infertility symptoms. And they unequivocally assert: really irresistible signs of infertility, emphasizing plans to become parents is vanishingly small. So, even in the most difficult cases, it is enough just not to despair, trust the doctor and be patient.
If you are afraid that the money will run out before patience, we inform you: Feskov Human Reproduction Group works on the terms of guaranteed programs. This means that you pay once for the result – the birth of a healthy child. And in case of failure from the first program, we will repeat the IVF cycle as many times as necessary for the birth of your child, without additional payments.
The first line of help for infertility symptoms – examination and treatment. Clinic specialists are constantly studying the most effective treatment methods, which the doctor in your clinic might not have heard of. If treatment does not eliminate signs of infertility – we move on to the second line of help.
The second line of help in the fight against infertility symptoms — use of donor biomaterial. If the quality or quantity of eggs is unsatisfactory, or there are none, or there are no spermatozoa suitable for fertilization, a donor oocyte or sperm can be used. If the case is not in the specified infertility symptoms but inability to carry pregnancy- it is time to turn to the help of a surrogate mother.
The third line of help is the provision of surrogate mother services. If pregnancy and delivery are contraindicated for the body of the expectant mother, our reliable surrogate mother carries your baby.
As you can see, no physical or psychological “signs that i’m infertile” are not an obstacle to those who really want to become parents. Don’t be afraid and trust the experience of Feskov Human Reproduction Group. And there will be more happy parents in the world.