Infertility
Infertility is an increasing problem affecting many couples. Currently about one in seven couple have problems conceiving but some experts suggest this could rise to one in three.
There can be many medical causes of infertility and the current trend of having children very late (late thirties and forties) also adds to the problem. Also obesity and sexually transmitted infections are both on the increase and both can increase infertility. Problems are not only with women as male infertility is also rising and causing concerns amongst the medical community.
In women infertility is mostly caused by problems with ovulation (the monthly releasing of an egg). Some problems prevent women releasing eggs at all and some cause an egg to only be released intermittently. Also as women in their early twenties are about twice as likely to get pregnant as women in their late thirties age is an important factor. The problems in men usually relate to the making of good quality sperm and your GP or a specialist can easily check this.
There is only about a 20 % chance of getting pregnant each month under normal circumstances so if you are young you would not normally go to your GP until you have been trying for between 18 months and two years. If you are older (late thirties) you should go sooner as fertility decreases with age and it can take quite a while to establish the cause.
So if you are having fertility problems both partners should first go to their GP who will organise various tests to help identify the problem. If it is a medical problem then you may be offered a range of treatments. In many cases the tests do not reveal any identifiable cause.
There are various studies that show that there may also be a psychological aspect to infertility problems, which can be addresses relatively easily (see research section for details.)
Firstly, studies have show that stress may have an affect on infertility but just being told to stop worrying is unlikely to address this aspect. If you feel you are stressed then a short course in stress management may be all you need to raise your chances of conceiving. This will involve working out some lifestyle changes and learning some techniques to reduce stress, which may include self-hypnosis, visualisations and breathing exercises.
The other psychological factor that can affect infertility may relate to the emotional state or background of either the man or the women. For example if a women has been brought up being told how painful childbirth is and how dangerous it can be it is possible for that belief to reduce the chances of her conceiving as a self protection strategy. For men perhaps who already have children and are only having more under pressure from a new wife it is possible for the man's sperm count to reduce making him less fertile. In the event of these and other psychological factors a short course of treatment may assist with these problems.
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