Infertility is the inability to conceive after one year of regular unprotected intercourse.

Approximately one in six couples have difficulty achieving a pregnancy. It has been found that female factors are responsible in 30% of cases, male factors account for a further 30%, combined male and female factors account for 20% and the remaining 20% of cases are unexplained.

Under normal circumstances, the chances of pregnancy occurring as a result of unprotected intercourse during the fertile time of the cycle are about 25% per month. After 12 months of trying, approximately 80% of couples will have conceived.

Pregnancy result from the union of an ovum (egg) with a sperm.

How are eggs produced ?

One ovum(egg) is produced by one of the ovaries of the women as a result of important hormonal change in her body.

Each month one follicle called the dominant follicle, starts to grow & then ruptures and releases the egg. This usally occurs between day12and day 14and is called ovalution.

The process is under the control of two special hormones produced from the pituitary gland (situated in the brain), called the Follicle stimulating hormone(FSH) & the Luteninizing  hormone(LH). These hormones in turn stimulate the ovaries to produce to other hormones, Estrogen & Progesterone, which bring about the growth of inner lining layer of the uterus, called endometrium.

 

How are sperms produced ?

The sperms are produced in the testes of the male partner. In the male, the reproductive system includes the testicles, a duct system , accessory gland & the penis.

The maturation of the sperm and secretion of the testosterone are regulated by the FSH & LH hormones released from the pituitary glands.

 

Fertilization

When the egg has been released from the ovary, it is picked up by the mobile, finger like processes called the fimbriae. If the intercourse has taken place recently, sperm will swim up through the uterus in the fallopian tube & fertilize the ovum. Normally only one sperm fertilize the ovum. The fertilized egg(embryo) then travels slowly in the  fallopian tube towards the uterus aided by rhythmic movement of the tubes & the movement of the little hairlike processes called cilias within the tubes. This process takes about 3-4 days. Once the embryo reaches the uterus, it has to bury itself in an adequately prepared lining of the uterus, & grow into a baby. This process is called a implantation.

 

Proportion of factors causing infertility