Infertility Causes

Infertility causes can be complicated, they can be male, female or both parties.

Here are the most common causes of female infertility:

Structural Issues account for about 15% of female factors. Referring to issues with the anatomy of the woman, these issues cover blockages in fallopian tubes, a fibroid in the uterus, or a problem with the opening of the cervix. Some of these factors may be caused by previous medications or surgeries, like DES exposure when the woman was a fetus herself, or a surgery that would disrupt the stability or the cervix. Some of these causes may be treated with surgical intervention while others may need other forms of specialized treatment.

Mechanical Issues 25-40% of women will have fertility problems due to these issues, such as scar tissue that block the fallopian tubes or the uterus. This can also be caused by pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) or endometriosis.

Ovulatory Issues As many as 30% of all causes of female infertility are due to issues with ovulation. Complete ovarian failure due to hormonal issues, etc. It could be merely a problem with the timing or detection of ovulation. This can be treated with supplements to help restore ovarian function.
Multiple or Unknown Factors It is possible that a woman will have multiple factors involved in her cause of infertility. Medical evaluation by a qualified practitioner is always important. About 10% of women will have unknown causes of infertility.

Not to be bypassed is the male reproductive system.
the leading causes for male infertility are:

Structural Issues account for 35-40% of all fertility problems. Any obstructions in the vas deferens or epididymis (the tubes that transport fertile sperm). Varicoceles (varicose veins) in the testicles are the most common cause of male tube blockages. Sexually transmitted diseases, such as chlamydia or gonorrhoea, are also linked to tube blockage problems.

Sperm Issues Low sperm count (oligospermia) is a leading cause of infertility or subfertility issues among men. While it requires only one sperm to fertilize the ovum, the odds of conception are such that it takes million of sperm per milliliter of semen to actually achieve the goal of fertilization. A "normal" sperm count is about 20 million or more sperm per milliliter of semen. Over sixty percent of the sperm in each sample should exhibit normal morphology and indicate typical motility - the forward swimming movement. Sperm allergy is also possible. Fewer than 10 per cent of infertile women and men have immune reactions to sperm, which cause them to produce antibodies that kill sperm cells. In men, this is most common after a vasectomy. This diagnosis is controversial.

The final category include the ubiquitous 'unexplained infertility'. This catch-all term is used when doctors can't find a cause for infertility after a full series of tests and assessments. Some experts think being significantly over- or underweight, exercising excessively and even environmental toxins may be contributing factors but no direct links have been confirmed. Combination infertility is the term used to describe couples who have both male and female infertility problems, or when one partner has more than one fertility problem.