7 Things Every Man Should Know About Fertility

Most of the media and social attention on conception and pregnancy is focused on women. The pregnancy occurs in her body, so it makes sense that most people would assume conception is (almost) all about the woman. They would be wrong. It takes two to make a baby, and male fertility is just as important. Here are seven things every man should know about fertility.

1. Your Diet, Health, and Work Environment Can Impact Your Fertility.

Your health habits matter when it comes to male fertility. Some health habits to watch out for include the following:

• Smoking: Smoking negatively affects sperm counts, sperm shape, and sperm movement, all important factors for conception. IVF treatment success has also been found to be poorer in male smokers, even when IVF with ICSI is used. (ICSI involves taking a single sperm and directly injecting it into an egg.) Smoking is also connected to erectile dysfunction, so dropping the habit may reverse some of the negative effects.
• Toxic workplace chemicals: Does your job involve close contact with toxic chemicals? If so, you may be at greater risk for infertility and decreased sperm health. Farmers, painters, varnishers, metal workers, and welders have all been found to be at risk for decreased fertility. If your job involves toxic chemical contact or high heat conditions, speak to your doctor. There may be more steps you can take to protect yourself.
• Sexually transmitted infections (or STDs/STIs): Sexually transmitted infections can lead to infertility if not treated promptly. Left untreated, an infection can lead to scar tissue within the male reproductive tract, making semen transfer ineffective or even impossible. If you have any symptoms of an STI, see your doctor right away, and if you're at risk for contracting an STI, get regular checks even if you are asymptomatic. You may unknowingly pass on an STI to your female partner, which can then damage her fertility.
• Weight: Being over or underweight can have a negative effect on semen health. Men with a BMI below 20 have been found to have lower sperm concentration and sperm counts, while obese men have been found to have lower levels of testosterone and lower sperm counts.
• Too many alcoholic drinks: Most studies have found that a few drinks a week won't cause any harm, but excessive drinking has been linked to lower sperm counts, poor sperm movements, and poor sperm shape. One study found that with every additional drink consumed per week, the IVF success rate decreased.

More on protecting or improving male fertility:

2. Paying Attention to Age Is Important for Men, Too.

You may already know that female fertility declines with age. A 30-year-old woman has a 20% chance of conceiving in any one month, while a 40-year-old woman has only a 5% chance. Male fertility is also affected by age, though not as drastically as in women. A 70-year-old woman cannot conceive naturally, but some 70-year-old men are still capable of fathering a child naturally. Still, age is something you should consider when planning your family.

Research has found that with increased age, male fertility and sperm health decreases, including an increase in DNA-damaged sperm. Male age has been linked to an increased risk of miscarriage, the passing on of genetic problems, and some birth defects. Increased male age has also been linked to increased rates of autism and schizophrenia.

IVF treatment is also impacted by male age. One study found that for each additional year of paternal age, there was an 11% increased odds of not achieving pregnancy, and a 12% increase in the odds of not having a live birth.

3. Heat Is Bad for Sperm.

High temperatures are bad news for sperm. You've most likely heard of this in relation to the boxers vs. briefs argument. The thinking was that boxers, being less restrictive and having more air flow, would lead to cooler testicular temperatures and healthier levels of fertility. The research isn't really clear on whether boxers or briefs matter, although wearing extremely tight shorts or underwear, especially when made from a non-breathable fabric, may have an impact on sperm health.

More sources of sperm-troubling heat include:

• Hot tubbing or long hot baths
• Sitting for prolonged periods of time with your legs together (like at a desk job or while driving long distances)
• Sitting with a laptop on your lap
• Heated car seats

The heat damaging effects may have a longer lasting impact than you'd imagine, too. A very small study looked at men who attended a sauna twice a week, for 15 minutes, over a period of three months. When comparing to semen samples taken before the sauna visits, the researchers found decreases in sperm count and movement, as well as more DNA-damaged sperm. The men in the study were again evaluated three months and six months after they stopped attending the sauna. Sperm health wasn't completely regained until six months after the men stopped attending the sauna sessions.

4. Male Infertility Is More Common Than You Think.

Couples are advised to seek testing and treatment if they don't conceive after a year of unprotected sex (or six months, if the woman is age 35 or older). Usually, the female partner will see her gynecologist for an evaluation, but men need to be evaluated, too. Male-factor infertility is involved in up to half of all infertile couples. The break down is:

• About one-third of infertile couples have female factor infertility
• Another third have male factor infertility
• The remaining third have both male and female factor infertility, or the cause remains unexplained

A semen analysis, which is a non-invasive test that evaluates semen and sperm health, should be done before any treatments (even clomid) are tried. If male factors are involved, and you try treatments before evaluating male fertility, your female partner will go through the physical stress -- and both of you will go through the emotional stress -- for no reason.

Speak to your partner's gynecologist about having the semen analysis done, even if she doesn't bring it up herself. You may need to see a urologist or fertility specialist for the semen analysis, or the gynecologist may be able to order the test for you.

5. Male Infertility Is Usually -- But Not Always -- Symptomless.

Most of the time, male infertility shows no obvious outward signs. Being unable to conceive is usually the first sign of infertility in men. You can be in tip-top health and still have compromised fertility. (You can also, by the way, have a great sex life and have male infertility. Contrary to myth, fertility and sexual prowess are not related.)

There are, however, a few symptoms and risk factors to look out for. If any of these symptoms or risk factors apply to you, see a urologist before you start trying to conceive:

• If you have an undescended testicle
• If you have been treated for a sexually transmitted infection in the past
• If you have trouble having or maintaining an erection
• If you have low sex drive
• If you have pain, swelling, or a lump in the testicular area

There are also a number of commonly taken medications that may impact your fertility. Speak to your primary care doctor to find out if any of your medications may be compromising your fertility. You may be able to switch to something else.

6. Putting Off Testing and Treatment May Decrease Your Chances for Pregnancy Success.

Despite the recommendations to seek help after one year of trying, surveys have found that many couples don't. There are a number of reasons for this, including anxiety about fertility testing, concerns about the possible cost of treatments, and misunderstandings like thinking all infertility has obvious symptoms and causes, or thinking that once you've had a child, you can't be infertile. (You actually can have infertility after already having a child. This is called secondary infertility.)

Here's the thing: certain causes of infertility worsen with time. The sooner you get evaluated, the better your chances may be for pregnancy success. This applies to male testing as well as female testing. If only the woman is tested, time can be lost.

If you're worried about the costs, it may be helpful to know that the majority of infertile couples can be treated with low-tech, lower-cost treatments. IVF treatment, the most expensive fertility treatment, is not needed for the majority of couples.

7. At-Home Sperm Analysis Tests Aren't Good Enough to Rule Out Male Infertility.

The semen analysis can make many men nervous, and many turn to the internet in hopes of taking a more anonymous test. These mail-based semen analysis tests are not as accurate as the testing done in a lab with fresh semen. In fact, to get the best test results, the sample should get to the testing lab within an hour of collection.

The at-home sperm tests are limited in what they can evaluate: most of them measure sperm count and semen volume, but they can't evaluate sperm movement and they rarely look at sperm shape. You can have great sperm counts, but if the sperm are not moving properly, or they're all poorly shaped, you may still be infertile.

If you're concerned about your fertility, see your doctor and get an accurate test done.

Understanding the Causes, Signs, and Treatment of Depression Related Infertility | Infertility and Depression

Infertility and depression frequently go together. While you may not be surprised to learn that infertility can lead to depression, you might not know that people who experience depression are more likely to have fertility problems. You may also be surprised to learn that depression during pregnancy and after pregnancy (postpartum depression) is more common in women who have struggled with trying to conceive.

But just because depression is common among the fertility challenged, this doesn't mean you should ignore it or fail to treat it.

What Is the Difference Between Depression and Regular Sadness?

It's completely normal to feel sadness when dealing with infertility. You may get hit with the blues when your period comes, when a fertility test comes back with bad news, when treatments fail, or upon diagnosis of infertility. You may also feel sadness when reminded of your fertility struggles, like when a friend throws a baby shower or your sister has her fourth child.

One difference between sadness and depression is sadness lifts after some time, while depression lingers, involves other symptoms, and interferes with your life. How serious the depression is depends on how much it affects your daily life.

Signs of depression include:

Sadness that lasts for weeks or months.

• Feelings of hopelessness and helplessness.
• Frequent crying or tearing up.
• Frequently irritated or intolerant of others around you, specifically people who you used to enjoy being around.
• Lack of motivation, struggling to get work done at the office or around the home.
• Difficulty sleeping, either sleeping too much or unable to sleep well (insomnia).
• Difficulty with eating, either overeating or experiencing low appetite.
• Struggling with experiencing pleasure in life, including a low interest in sex.
• Frequent feelings of anxiety or worry.
• Thoughts of dying, self-harm, or suicide.

What Causes Infertility-Related Depression?

Infertility is a stressful condition, having a strong impact on your sex life, relationship, sense of self-worth, and daily life. In the midst of testing and treatments, infertility may literally feel like it has become your entire life, as you go to and from doctor appointments. All of this stress can potentially contribute to the development of depression.

Depression is more common among the fertility challenged who have a family history of depression, who experienced depression before their fertility struggles, or those who lack a support network. Infertility frequently causes feelings of shame, which may make it more difficult to talk to friends and family about your struggles. This isolation makes depression more likely.

Some hormonal imbalances that cause infertility may also contribute to mood symptoms and vulnerability to depression. Be sure to mention to your doctors if you're experiencing any feelings of a low mood, as it may help them diagnose your infertility and manage your overall care.

Can Depression Cause Infertility?

No one definitively knows whether depression itself can cause infertility, though some studies have found a correlation between depression and increased rates of IVF treatment. Some theorize that this may be due to an overlap in some of the hormonal issues involved in both conditions.

Also, depression may lead to lifestyle habits that can negatively impact your fertility. For example, depression often causes overeating or lack of appetite, and being overweight or underweight can cause infertility. People who are depressed are more likely to smoke or drink, which can also hurt your fertility.

Will Pregnancy Cure the Depression?

If not getting pregnant is contributing to depression, it seems logical to assume that finally achieving pregnancy will cure depression. However, this isn't always the case. In fact, those who have experienced infertility are more likely to feel depression during pregnancy and are at an increased risk for postpartum depression.

Is Surrogacy for you? Eterna IVF and Fertility Clinic

Only a very caring and unselfish person would even consider becoming a surrogate mother. The rewards of giving such an incredible gift are great, but, so are the stresses and the sacrifices. Being a surrogate is not easy and it is not for everyone. So, how do you know if it is for you? The best advice we can give is to think hard about the many ways being a surrogate will affect your life and do a little soul searching.

Below, we have listed several important issues you should take into account when you are trying to decide if becoming a surrogate is for you. If, after considering everything in this article, you are still interested in becoming a surrogate and you think you would be a good candidate, we wish you the best of luck in making your lucky couple's dreams come true!

Your Physical Health

• How is your health in general?
• Do you have any long-term illnesses that might prevent you from successfully carrying a pregnancy to term?
• Do you have a good reproductive history?
• Did you conceive easily?
• Were your pregnancies and deliveries reasonably easy and without complications?

Your Support System

• If you are married, does your husband support your decision to be a surrogate?
• If you are not married, do you have someone who you can talk to for support during the surrogacy?
• If your children are old enough to understand surrogacy, are they comfortable with the idea of you becoming a surrogate?
• How will it make you feel if/when you are confronted by others who may disapprove of your being a surrogate?
• How will it make you feel if/when your children are confronted by others who may disapprove of your being a surrogate?

Emotional Issues

• Can you be reasonably sure that you are capable of giving up a child that you will carry for 9 months?
• In traditional surrogacy, you will be the child's genetic mother. Will it be difficult for you to let go of a child that you have a genetic link to?
• Will becoming a surrogate cause problems within your marriage?
• Will becoming a surrogate cause a great amount of stress in your relationships with those closest to you (family, friends, coworkers, etc.)?
• As with any pregnancy, there is always a possiblity of complications which could result in fertility problems for you down the road. How would it make you feel to no longer be able to have children as a result of the surrogacy? How would it affect your marriage?

Medical Issues

• If you will be a gestational surrogate, are you prepared for the medical protocol, which will require daily injections?
• The chances of a multiple pregnancy are increased in gestational surrogacy. How do you feel about carrying multiples?
• How would you feel if your doctor requires you to drastically reduce your activity or go on bedrest in the event of a high-risk or multiple pregnancy?

Decision Making

• If it was discovered that the child you are carrying has a physical defect, how will you feel about terminating the pregnancy? (Note: If you would not be comfortable terminating the pregnancy, it does not mean that you will not make a good surrogate. It only means that you need to find a couple who agrees with your point of view.)

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IVF: Risks May Outweigh Benefits, Say Experts

The first baby was born using in vitro fertilization in 1981. From then until 2003, more than 1 million babies were born using the treatment, and this increased to 10 million by 2015. Now, a new analysis published in the BMJ suggests that in vitro fertilization may be overused, and the risks of the treatment could possibly outweigh the benefits.

In vitro fertilization (IVF) was first created as a treatment option for women who had fallopian tube disorders and men who were severely infertile.

But the team of experts who conducted the analysis, led by Dr. Esme I. Kamphuis of the Centre for Reproductive Medicine at the University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands, states that in recent years, IVF has been used for other conditions that affect fertility, and it has even been used to treat unexplained fertility problems.

For example, they say between 2000 and 2010, the number of annual IVF cycles in the US increased from 90,000 to 150,000. However, the proportion of IVF cycles for tubal problems reduced from 25% to 16% during this period.

The experts point out that unexplained fertility accounts for around 25-30% of couples undergoing IVF treatment. But they note that when not treated with IVF straight away, most of these couples are able to conceive naturally before treatment.

Extended IVF use 'harmful'

The experts argue that extended IVF use increases the risk of harm to both the mother and offspring.

"Multiple pregnancies are associated with maternal and perinatal complications such as gestational diabetes, fetal growth restriction, and preeclampsia as well as premature birth. And even singletons born through IVF have been shown to have worse outcomes than those conceived naturally," they write.

Furthermore, the authors say there are also concerns surrounding the long-term health of children born through IVF. They note that these children may have higher blood pressure, adiposity, glucose levels and more generalized vascular abnormalities, compared with children who are conceived naturally.

"These effects seem to be related to the IVF procedure itself rather than to underlying subfertility," the experts add.

IVF has 'evolved as a profit-generating industry'

The experts say that the progression of IVF is being prevented by "a lack of will to question its perceived success."

They add that at present, bodies who fund the treatment are not interested in funding studies that investigate the long-term safety of IVF.

What is Surrogacy? Eterna IVF and Fertility Clinic

In recent years, surrogacy has become a common form of assisted reproduction. If you’re looking to learn more about it, you’ve come to the right place. Let’s start off by defining the term.

The Definition

Surrogacy is when a woman bears a child for another person or couple, becoming pregnant either through in vitro fertilization (IVF) or intrauterine insemination (IUI).

Gestational vs. Traditional

There are two types of surrogacy: gestational surrogacy and traditional surrogacy. In gestational surrogacy, the more common practice, a surrogate becomes pregnant via in vitro fertilization and is not genetically related to the child to whom she gives birth. In a traditional surrogacy, a surrogate becomes pregnant via intrauterine insemination, uses her own eggs and has a genetic connection to the baby. While traditional surrogacy was the more common practice in years past, today the vast majority of surrogacy arrangements involve gestational surrogacy.

Compensated vs. Uncompensated

When arranging a surrogacy, there are two options: compensated surrogacy and uncompensated surrogacy. In a compensated surrogacy, the surrogate receives payment for her services, the intended parents pay all medical costs, and the parties typically work with a surrogacy agency. In an uncompensated (sometimes called “altruistic”) surrogacy arrangement, the surrogate is often a friend or relative of the intended parents, and she receives no payment outside of reimbursement for medical expenses. The majority of surrogacy arrangements today involve compensated surrogacy.

Common Surrogacy Situations:

• people turn to surrogacy to build their families for various reasons. Intended parents include:
• eterosexual couples who have repeat miscarriages or several failed assisted reproductive technology attempts, such as in vitro fertilization or intrauterine insemination
• Intended mothers who are unable to carry a child
• Intended parents who have a genetic defect or health condition they don’t want to pass onto the child
• Same-sex intended parents who want to have a genetic link to the baby

Getting Pregnant

The process by which a surrogate becomes pregnant depends on the type of surrogacy. With gestational surrogacy, the surrogate becomes pregnant by IVF—the intended mother’s eggs or eggs from an egg donor are retrieved through a surgical procedure and fertilized by sperm in a petri dish. The resulting embryos are cultivated in the laboratory for several days and one or more are then transferred into the carrier’s uterus.

Remaining Frozen Embryos

Frozen embryos are stored at your IVF clinic. If your family is complete, you will be advised on your options for the future of your embryos. If you choose to move your embryos, your IVF center will assist you in that process. Of course, you may use the cryopreserved embryos in a future surrogacy if you choose.

Intended Parent Qualification

Becoming a parent is a life-altering decision that shouldn't be made lightly. We ask intended parents to fill out our parenting questionnaire and participate in a free consultation, which helps them to fully understand the emotional, financial, and psychological components that come along with surrogacy.

Why Infertility Happens | Your Guide to Female Infertility

Infertility is the inability to get pregnant after a year of unprotected intercourse. 

About 10% of couples in only United States are affected by infertility. Both men and women can be infertile. According to the Centers for Disease Control, 1/3 of the time the diagnosis is due to female infertility, 1/3 of the time it is linked to male infertility, and the remaining cases of infertility are due to a combination of factors from both partners. For approximately 20% of couples, the cause cannot be determined.

How Does Age Affect Fertility?

Women are born with a finite number of eggs. Thus, as the reproductive years progress, the number and quality of the eggs diminish. The chances of having a baby decrease by 3% to 5% per year after the age of 30. This reduction in fertility is noted to a much greater extent after age 40.

What Causes Female Infertility?

Female infertility can be also be caused by a number of factors, including the following:

• Damage to the fallopian tubes (which carry the eggs from the ovaries to the uterus) can prevent contact between the egg and sperm. Pelvic infections, endometriosis, and pelvic surgeries may lead to scar formation and fallopian tube damage.
• Some women have problems with ovulation. Synchronized hormonal changes leading to the release of an egg from the ovary and the thickening of the endometrium (lining of the uterus) in preparation for the fertilized egg do not occur. These problems may be detected using basal body temperature charts, ovulation predictor kits, and blood tests to detect hormone levels.
• A small group of women may have a cervical condition in which the sperm cannot pass through the cervical canal. Whether due to abnormal mucus production or a prior cervical surgical procedure, this problem may be treated with intrauterine inseminations.
• Abnormal anatomy of the uterus; the presence of polyps and fibroids.
• The cause of infertility in approximately 20% of couples will not be determined using the currently available methods of investigation.

How Is the Cause of Infertility Determined?

If male infertility is suspected, a semen analysis is performed. This test will evaluate the number and health of his sperm. A blood test can also be performed to check his level of testosterone and other male hormones.

If female infertility is suspected, your doctor may order several tests, including:

• A blood test to check hormone levels
• An endometrial biopsy to check the lining of the uterus
• Two diagnostic tests that may be helpful in detecting scar tissue and tubal obstruction are hysterosalpingography and laparoscopy.
•  This procedure involves either ultrasound or X-rays taken of the reproductive organs. Either dye or saline and air are injected into the cervix and travel up through the fallopian tubes. This enables the ultrasound or X-ray to reveal if the fallopian tubes are open or blocked.
•  In this procedure, a laparoscope (a slender tube fitted with a fiberoptic camera) is inserted into the abdomen through a small incision near the belly button. The laparoscope enables the doctor to view the outside of the uterus, ovaries, and fallopian tubes to detect abnormal growths, as in endometriosis. The doctor can also check to see if the fallopian tubes are open at the same time.

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What to Expect During IVF | Eterna IVF & Fertility Clinic

1. The intake interview.

If initial fertility treatments such as fertility drugs or surgery fail and you decide to move forward with IVF, your ob/gyn will refer you to a reproductive endocrinologist. During your initial meeting with the doctor, you'll discuss your medical and fertility history, and that of your partner, to determine which treatment protocols will work best for you, as well as what you can do to improve the odds of a healthy birth.

2. Preliminary tests and talks.

You'll undergo ultrasound and blood tests to determine the number and quality of your eggs. You'll also meet with a nurse to learn how to self administer fertility drugs, a financial counselor to work out payment, and a psychologist to discuss coping with any stress that might arise.

3. Drugs to induce egg growth.

To stimulate your follicles to grow as many eggs as possible during your cycle, for about two weeks you'll give yourself one to three daily injections of fertility medications (such as GonalF, a folliclestimulating hormone, and Repronex, a luteinizing hormone) in your thigh or stomach. Either before your cycle or midway through, you'll also inject a gonadotropinreleasing hormone (GnRH) drug such as Lupron, which prevents you from ovulating too early. Around day 12, you'll inject the drug human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) to stimulate ovulation and precisely time the final burst of egg growth. During these two weeks, you'll visit the clinic about five times for blood and ultrasound tests to monitor your progress.

4. Egg harvesting.

In a carefully targeted window of time — shortly before doctors calculate that your eggs will be released through the fallopian tubes during ovulation — you'll be heavily sedated and, using ultrasound as a guide, your doctor will pull eggs out of your ovaries with a hollow needle inserted through the wall of the vagina. In the meantime, your partner, in a nearby room, will ejaculate into a cup to obtain sperm, which the lab will then quickly process to extract the most robust ones. The sperm and eggs are then mixed together in an incubator so insemination can occur. If necessary — for instance, when sperm count is low or the sperm are having difficulty penetrating the egg — the lab embryologist might also perform intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), a procedure in which sperm are injected directly into an egg. If you are over 40 or a previous IVF attempt failed, he might also puncture the outer shell of a resulting embryo shortly before transferring it into the uterus so it can implant itself more easily, a process called assisted hatching.

5. Embryo transfer.

Three days after harvesting your eggs, your doctor will use a thin catheter to insert two or three embryos into your uterus via the vagina. "This is a painless procedure that feels like a Pap smear," explains Sarita Sukhija, medical director at Eterna IVF in Delhi. If genetic diseases are a concern, this step might occur on day five, after lab biopsies have been performed to select the healthiest embryos.

6. The outcome.

Your partner (or a friend or a family member) will give you daily injections of progesterone, a hormone that aids implantation, in the buttocks. In two weeks, you'll take a pregnancy test at the clinic; someone there will call to give you the results.

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Infertility and Men | Eterna IVF and Fertility Clinic

Although some people still think of fertility as a "woman's problem," a third of all cases of infertility involve problems solely with the male partner. Infertility in a man may be the sole reason that a couple can't conceive, or it may simply add to the difficulties caused by infertility in his partner.

So it's crucial that men get tested for fertility as well as women. It's also important that men do it early. Though some guys may want to put off being tested -- possibly to avoid embarrassment -- early testing can spare their partners a great deal of unnecessary discomfort and expense. It's also a good way to quickly narrow down potential problems.

Getting Tested for Infertility

The first thing to do for fertility issues is to go to the doctor, typically a urologist. After a physical exam, your doctor will probably order a semen analysis, which will check the quality and quantity of the sperm in the semen. And yes, your doctor will want you to give the sample there, or at least someplace nearby, because it's important that the analysis take place quickly. Just remember, as sheepish as you might feel, a semen analysis is a common test, and the results could save you months of worry and stress.

If the first semen analysis is normal, your doctor may order a second test to confirm the results. Two normal tests usually are interpreted to mean that the man doesn't have any significant infertility problems. If something in the results looks irregular, your doctor might order further tests to pinpoint the problem. At this point, if you aren't already seeing a urologist, you should considering seeing a specialist.

What a Semen Analysis Can Detect

Azoospermia. No sperm are produced, or the sperm aren't appearing in the semen.

• Oligospermia. Few sperm are produced.
• Problems with sperm motility. If sperm aren't moving normally, they are less likely to be capable of fertilizing an egg.
• Problems with sperm morphology. Problems with the form and structure -- or morphology -- of the sperm may cause infertility.

But while these conditions may be the direct reason that you can't conceive, they themselves may be caused by an underlying medical condition. Your doctor will probably want to investigate the issue further by ordering blood and urine tests or other procedures.

Reasons for Male Infertility

There are a wide number of reasons for male infertility. Some are caused by physical problems that prevent the sperm from being ejaculated normally in semen. Others affect the quality and production of the sperm itself.

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Myths and Facts about Men's Infertility | Eterna IVF and Fertility Clinic

When a couple is diagnosed infertile, first thoughts often run to the woman. She's barren. She can't conceive. She's not a "complete" woman because she can't get pregnant. As nature would have it, problems with infertility are equally due to male and female conditions.

Infertility is the inability to get pregnant after one year of unprotected sexual intercourse. Statistics suggest that 35 to 40 percent of the problems are caused by male conditions, another 35 to 40 percent by female conditions, and the last 20 to 30 percent a combination of the two, plus a small percentage of unknown causes.

Men's part in fertilization is quite amazing. About 200 million sperm are mixed with semen to form ejaculate. In most men, 15 to 45 million of these sperm are healthy enough to fertilize an egg, although only 400 survive after a man ejaculates. Only 40 of those 400 reach the vicinity of the egg, surviving the toxic environment of the semen and the hostile environment of the vagina. After another process called capacitation (an explosion that allows the remaining sperm to drill a hole through the tough outer layer of the egg), only one lone sperm reaches the egg for fertilization and conception.

Top Causes of Male Infertility

• Low sperm count
• Slow sperm motility (movement)
• Abnormal morphology (shape and size of sperm)
• Problems with semen

Even though specialists know the causes of male infertility, what's not always known is the cause behind the cause. There are many factors -- lifestyle, genetics, physiology -- that might explain low sperm count, slow sperm mobility, abnormal sperm shape, and so on.

Recent developments in treatment have made fertility possible for many men. But before undergoing any complicated procedures, there are some simple lifestyle changes that can better the odds of a successful conception. (These tips are helpful for any couple trying to conceive, whether or not infertility has been diagnosed.)

Stop smoking cigarettes or marijuana. Smoking tobacco has been linked to low sperm counts and sluggish motility. Long-term use of marijuana can result in low sperm count and abnormally developed sperm.

• Decrease your drinking. Alcohol can reduce the production of normally formed sperm needed for a successful pregnancy.
• Watch your weight. Both overweight and underweight men can have fertility problems. With too much weight, there can be hormonal disturbances, and when a man's too lean, he can have decreased sperm count and functionality.
• Exercise in moderation. Excessive exercise could lower your sperm count indirectly by lowering the amount of testosterone in your body. And as you might have guessed, stay off the steroids -- they can cause testicular shrinkage, resulting in infertility.
• Value your vitamins. Low levels of vitamin C and zinc can cause sperm to clump together, so keep your numbers up. Vitamin E can counteract excess free-oxygen radicals, which can also affect sperm quality.
• Turn your back on toxins. Landscapers, contractors, manufacturing workers, and men who have regular contact with environmental toxins or poisons (pesticides, insecticides, lead, radiation, or heavy metals) are all at risk of infertility.

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How to Choose a Fertility Clinic | Eterna IVF and Fertility Clinic

Before you take the next step in your journey to become pregnant, it's worth seeking out a good fertility clinic.

Let's say you've been getting advice from your gynecologist, who's run a blood test for hormones or had you record your basal body temperature for a couple of months. At the same time, your husband has had his plumbing checked out by a urologist. When it comes time to diagnose where the problem may be and suggest solutions, you may wish there were a single doctor you both could see. That's where the infertility specialist comes in, providing big-picture advice. Women over age 35 or who have a history of three or more miscarriages; men with a poor semen analysis; and couples who have tried for at least two years to get pregnant, should plan on seeing a specialist, recommends Resolve, an infertility support group. 

However, you need to do some homework first. Before you step foot into the fertility clinic, find out what kind of invasive tests or procedures might lie in wait for you. And give some thought ahead of time to how far you're willing to go with this process. Advanced reproductive technology can cost many thousands of dollars, can involve strong drugs or hormones, and can be an emotional roller coaster. Knowing your limits will keep you from being talked into some nifty new procedure that you really don't want and can't afford.

When it comes to choosing a clinic, do thorough research ahead of time. One useful resource is a federal database kept by the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that contains the success rates of fertility centers around the country. The statistics are updated every few years, so check the date. Keep in mind that some fertility centers that looked great several years ago may have had high staff turnover and declined in quality. But the numbers give you a place to start. Also, ask a lot of questions of every fertility clinic you're considering.

"You shouldn't look at the report and say 'Center A has the highest success rate, I'm going there,'" says Arthur Gautam Chhabra, GM, an infertility specialist in Delhi, India., and author. "Just be sure they have a success rate that's at least above the national average."

We've all heard the scary stories about embryos ending up in the wrong womb or ugly legal disputes over someone's frozen eggs. To be sure you don't become the next reproductive-technology headline, check that the clinic has good quality control and strong ethics.

Questions to Ask of a Fertility Clinic

How long has the fertility clinic's medical director been there?

• How long have the doctors and technicians been there? High staff turnover can be a sign of bad management and can contribute to mistakes.
• Which procedures do you do, and how often? Be sure the clinic has a wide range of infertility remedies available and is familiar with the latest technology, such as something called blastocyst transfer.
• Do you have age limits for treatment? If so, it's a good sign that the clinic is concerned about ethical issues.
• When you do an advanced procedure that involves fertilizing the eggs outside the woman and then planting them inside her, who decides how many eggs go back in -- the doctor or patient? Gautam recommends steering away from a clinic that gives complete control to the doctor. This is important because the more eggs planted, the greater the chance for multiple births.
• How many cycles per year do you do? Gautam notes that some clinics handle so many patients -- each of whom may be treated for multiple menstrual cycles -- that patients end up feeling like a number.
• What does treatment cost? While you don't want to choose strictly on price, it's good to know costs ahead of time so you know what you're getting into. Beware of clinics that offer a money-back guarantee if you don't get pregnant -- the doctor may have a financial incentive to treat you more aggressively than you want.

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How Do Exercise, Weight, and Age Affect Fertility and Home Treatment

Exercise

Exercise should be encouraged for both women and men who are gearing up to try to conceive. However, excessive, strenuous exercise in women may result in disruption of the ovulation cycle, thereby affecting her periods. Normal exercise has not been linked to miscarriages (loss of pregnancy), but certain forms of exercise (for example, high-impact or contact sports or scuba diving) should be avoided in pregnancy. In men, too much exercise may cause a low sperm count.

Weight and Fertility

A healthy diet is very important for women who are trying for a baby. Being overweight can affect a woman's fertility and can cause complications during pregnancy. A woman who is overweight and who is planning a pregnancy would be advised to lose weight before she conceives.
Weight loss with anorexia or bulimia can disrupt a woman's menstrual cycle and thereby reduce her chances of becoming pregnant.

Age and Fertility

A woman's peak fertility is in her early 20s. At age 35 and beyond (and particularly after 40), the likelihood of becoming pregnant reduces. As men age, levels of testosterone fall, and the volume and concentration of sperm change.
Healthy couples younger than 30 years who have regular sexual intercourse and use no contraception have a 25% to 30% chance of achieving pregnancy each month.

To decrease your risk of fertility problems and increase your chances of becoming pregnant, use the following guidelines.

Track ovulation at home

Estimate when you are ovulating by practicing fertility awareness. This means:

• Tracking your cervical mucus changes.
• Tracking your basal body temperature on a monthly Fahrenheit temperature chart or Celsius temperature chart.
• Tracking your luteinizing hormone (LH) levels with a home ovulation predictor test. Many doctors now recommend these home tests as the best way to track ovulation at home.
• Try this interactive tool to calculate your peak fertility calculator.gif.
• Try having sex every day or every other day during a woman's fertile period. This can improve the chance of pregnancy.
• If you exercise strenuously most days of the week, reduce your level of activity. Very strenuous exercise can cause women to ovulate less often.

Protect sperm count and quality

• If you use a vaginal lubricant during sex, select one that doesn't kill or damage sperm.
• If you exercise strenuously most days of the week, reduce your level of activity. Very strenuous exercise may be a cause of lower sperm counts in some men.
• Avoid hot tubs and saunas. High scrotal temperatures may decrease sperm count and quality.3
• Try to control fever when you are ill. High fever has been known to have a harmful effect on sperm for 2 to 3 months afterward. (Sperm take this long to grow from germ cells to mature sperm.)

General measures

Women who are trying to get pregnant should avoid using alcohol and medicines, including nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen and aspirin.

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In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) Introduction and Factors to Consider

Infertility, known as principal infertility, could be the incapacity of few for being pregnant (regardless associated with cause) right after twelve months associated with unprotected intercourse employing not any contraception techniques. This is unlike supplementary infertility, which often means the shortcoming to maintain the being pregnant right up until delivery.

Major infertility has effects on about 6.1 mil individuals in the united states, about 10% involving women and men involving reproductive era. Assisted reproductive technological know-how (ARTs) are usually ways to assist a lady get pregnant, as well as in vitro fertilization (IVF), intracytoplasmic ejaculation injection (ICSI), along with comparable methods.

IVF had been utilized properly for the first time in America inside 1981. A lot more than 4 trillion babies have been blessed worldwide because of when using the inside vitro fertilization method. IVF gives infertile lovers an opportunity to use a baby who is biologically linked to them. Nowadays, over 1% associated with infants blessed in the usa are usually due to a new maternity put together by made it easier for reproductive technological know-how.

Having IVF, a method associated with made it easier for imitation, a new guy's orgasm and also the woman's egg are usually combined in a laboratory dish, wherever fertilization occurs. The particular caused embryo or maybe embryos is/are subsequently used in the girl uterus (womb) for you to implant and create effortlessly. Usually, a couple of for you to four embryos they fit in the woman's uterus at one time. Every single effort is called a new never-ending cycle.

The phrase examination tube child may be used during the past to reference young children created with this technique. The 1st so-called examination tube child, Louise Dark brown, gotten to age group 20 years with 2003. Your lover was born with Great Britain.

Under 5% involving infertile newlyweds in fact utilize IVF. IVF is normally the management of choice for the female using plugged, severely ruined, or no Fallopian pipes. IVF is additionally used to conquer infertility a result of endometriosis or problems with the actual guy's semen (such as reduced semen count). Couples exactly who just are not able to consider and also have attempted additional infertility approaches (such as intrauterine insemination) that have not necessarily did wonders for him or her also can attempt IVF.

Age: Any kind of lady who's however ovulating may look at IVF, though good results charges decline like a lady age range. Females under grow older 30 possess the best probability of good results with this process.

Multiple births: Commonly, in women who use IVF to determine a live birth, about 63% are single babies, 32% are twins babies, and 5% are triplets or even more.

Cost: IVF is really a pricey course of action that will, in many cases, seriously isn't covered by health care insurance programs.

Reduced need for surgery: In case a woman provides IVF, the lady may not ought to experience surgical procedures on her Fallopian hoses. Approximately this IVF approach provides lowered this kind of operations through 1 / 2.

Safety: Scientific tests claim that within vitro fertilization can be risk-free. Research insured nearly 1, 000 young children developed by way of these kind of procedures within several Countries in europe and discovered the young children supervised via start to be able to get older 5 a long time, were being because balanced because young children developed normally. On the other hand, additional scientific tests have found a a little bit greater chance involving hereditary problems within young children developed by way of assisted reproductive technology. On the other hand, damaging outcomes while in maternity along with the perinatal time usually are increased within pregnancy that come via IVF. A few or maybe most of this kind of greater chance can be because of the fact that a higher amount involving IVF pregnancy contain many gestations. On the other hand, there's a minor greater chance involving troubles within singleton pregnancy caused by IVF, maybe relevant to the age of this moms and dads in order to this main problems which in turn resulted in this infertility and dependence on IVF.

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Surrogacy - How does surrogacy work?

Surrogacy, simply, is a procedure in which the pregnancy is carried by someone else, and not the mother herself. The woman, who carries the baby for the couple, is known as the surrogate mother.

When Is Surrogacy Needed?

Surrogacy

It is usually done in a situation where the mother’s body does not have a hospitable environment for the baby. This can be due to different reasons like a malformed or a totally absent womb, and repeated failure in the in-vitro fertilisation treatment. Surrogacy, in normal cases, is never recommended because of issues other than medical ones. Some women prefer to have a baby through surrogacy because of their professions, but it should be realised that surrogacy should be taken up only if there is an actual need for it, medically.

The Different surrogacies

Surrogacy

There are two types of surrogacies: Full (or Gestational) surrogacy and Half (or Partial) Surrogacy.

In a Gestational Surrogacy, there are three possibilities. 

1. The egg and the sperm, both from the parents, are implanted in the surrogate.

2. The sperm of the father is implanted with a donor egg.

3. Both the egg and the sperm are donated, and the baby is carried by the surrogate.

Basically, in this kind of surrogacy, the surrogate mother does not have any genetic impact on the baby. 

The second kind, the Half or Partial Surrogacy, involves the fertilisation of the egg from the surrogate mother, by the sperm from the father. In this kind, the baby will, obviously, have the surrogate mother’s traits. There are two methods of carrying out fertilisation in this procedure- Artificial Insemination or Intra-Uterine Insemination (IUI). 

Choosing a Surrogate

Surrogate

If you have been advised to take up surrogacy, by a doctor, the next step is to choose a suitable carrier. The agency, through which you are planning to do this, will help you make the right choice. The time taken for this depends of various factors. Once a suitable carrier is chosen, based on the forms of different carriers, you will be made to meet her in person. It is recommended for the couple to choose a surrogate mother who doesn’t put up too far.

How Does It Happen?

Surrogacy

In case of a gestational surrogacy, the first step is the retrieval of the egg from the donor, or the actual mother. Ovulation is triggered using drugs and usually more than one egg is retrieved, to increase chances of fertilisation. After that, the sperms from the father or the donor are used to fertilise the eggs. The implantation in the surrogate takes place at the embryo level. 

In case of a partial surrogacy, the surrogate is given fertility drugs and monitored for healthy eggs. The sperm from the father is then introduced, using artificial insemination or IUI. 

Factors That Affect Surrogacy

Surrogacy Factors

There are many factors that affect the rate of success in a surrogacy.

1. Firstly, the surrogate should be able to get pregnant, and have a good environment for the growth of the baby. This will depend upon her age, too.

2. Secondly, if the egg is taken from a donor, her age would also affect the fertilisation process.

3. Thirdly, all the medical procedures, like IVF and IUI, done as a part of the surrogacy, should also be done with great care to ensure their success. Failure at one step would mean failure at all of them.

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