Infertility vs infertility

We speak of infertility when both partners produce reproductive cells and are therefore able to conceive a child, but despite their efforts, they fail to achieve conception after a year of frequent intercourse without using contraception. Importantly, infertility is a reversible condition. Common causes of infertility include. poor semen quality, hormonal disorders, defects or diseases of the reproductive organs or idiopathic infertility. In many cases, appropriate treatment (e.g. pharmacological, surgical, hormonal) helps to restore fertility function. In other situations, lifestyle changes or psychological counselling may also be beneficial.

Infertility, on the other hand, is diagnosed in couples who are unable to conceive due to a lack of reproductive cells in one or both partners. Unfortunately, this is an irreversible condition, as it is impossible to restore the 'production' of sperm or egg cells. However, this is not a judgment - in this case, too, there are ways to give birth to the desired child.

Causes of infertility in women and men

What causes infertility and what does it mean? In a woman, it involves the inability to produce egg cells. What factors can cause not having gametes?

Past surgical procedures (e.g. removal of ovaries or uterus).
Damage to the reproductive organs as a result of an accident or mechanical trauma,
Oncological treatment.
Mayer-Rokitansky-Kuester-Hauser syndrome, resulting in a woman being born without a uterus.
Premature cessation of ovarian function (ovaries stop working before the age of 40).
Genetic defects such as Turner syndrome, Sweyer syndrome.

For men, infertility is most often associated with poor semen quality or injuries to the reproductive organs. Common causes include:

absence of genitalia or insufficient development of the testes or vas deferens,
damage to or loss of the testicles as a result of mechanical trauma, accident or surgery
certain childhood illnesses (e.g. mumps, which can lead to bilateral testicular inflammation and subsequent fibrosis),
diseases leading to testicular inflammation (Chlamydia trachomatis, Mycoplasma, Neisseria gonorrhoeae),
genetic defects resulting in a man not having the right number of chromosomes (there are too many or too few), i.e. Klinefelter's syndrome,
irreversible azoospermia (complete absence of sperm in the ejaculate), caused by mutations in the AZF gene, located on the long arm of the Y chromosome,
azoospermia resulting from radiotherapy or chemotherapy.

How to fight infertility?

If tests performed in infertility treatment centre have shown that, despite the obstacles, the chances of getting pregnant are there, it is best to put yourself in the hands of specialists. Causes of infertility in men and women For they do not disappear overnight, without the support of an experienced medical team and modern treatment methods.

The management depends on the needs of the patient and her partner. Sometimes surgery (e.g. a procedure to unblock the fallopian tubes) or hormonal stimulation to induce ovulation is necessary. Sometimes the treatment has several stages and involves both partners, for example when, in addition to ovulation disorders in the woman, a decrease in fertility is diagnosed in the man (low sperm count in semen, sperm with low motility or abnormal structure, etc.). Hormone therapy may then be accompanied by a more complex semen test to find sperm with the correct structure in the semen. "Proliferating" sperm can then be used for the in vitro fertilisation of the patient's ova, so that the resulting developing embryos can give rise to new life. Unused embryos are frozen and the couple can return for them at any time when they decide to expand their family further.

Not just in vitro, or what is insemination?

Contrary to popular belief, the fight against infertility is not limited to in vitro fertilisation. There are many other options available to couples experiencing infertility, and IVF alone is most often a last resort.

There are also other assisted reproductive techniques - for example, insemination. This procedure can address a variety of fertility problems. In cases involving male infertility, it is used when the sperm count is very low or when the sperm is not strong enough to pass through the cervix and enter the fallopian tubes. As for female infertility, this procedure may be recommended if the patient suffers from endometriosis or has any abnormality in the reproductive organs.

Insemination involves the insertion of previously collected sperm into the woman's reproductive system for fertilisation. The procedure is carried out in a doctor's office or medical clinic. For best results, insemination is coordinated with the woman's natural ovulation cycle, or in some cases, ovulation-inducing drugs are used. During artificial insemination, the doctor introduces sperm directly into the woman's cervix, fallopian tubes or uterus. The most commonly used method is intrauterine insemination (IUI), when the doctor places sperm in the uterus.

Adoption - an option worth considering

Couples struggling with infertility have a more difficult situation than infertile couples, but they too have the chance to have a child, for example through adoption. Creating a real home for children who have lost their parents is mutually beneficial, but not everyone is willing or able to take on this task. Many infertile couples admit outright that they fear they will not be able to give their adopted children the same strong affection that their biological offspring could hope for. Others quietly hope for a miracle, even though all the treatments they have tried have failed.

Oocyte adoption

A separate issue is the experience of pregnant women and women giving birth - although both pregnancy and childbirth are extremely challenging for the body, a unique and extremely strong bond is formed between mother and child. This is why IVF with an egg adopted from an anonymous donor is attracting increasing interest among infertile women.

The procedure is simple: egg cells are obtained from healthy young women. All egg cell donors undergo a thorough screening. Doctors select the donors after carefully reviewing their medical history, health status, mental state and biography. The attending doctor furthermore selects the donor on the basis of phenotype. The ova are then fertilised under laboratory conditions with sperm from the patient's partner or donor, after which the developing embryos are placed in the woman's uterine cavity. In this way, she is able to experience everything that she might miss due to the lack of her own egg cells: pregnancy, the puerperium, breastfeeding, nappy changes, teething, the baby's first steps.

Fertile, infertile, infertile - whether nature is on your side or not, you have the right to fight for your right to happiness. If for some reason you are not succeeding in becoming a mother, make an appointment with a specialist. Do your research, seek help and don't be ashamed to ask. Conception problems are very often temporary and can be solved without resorting to invasive methods.