Infertility is generally defined as not conceiving a baby even after doing regular intercourse for 12 months without the use of birth control. It may happen that one of the partners is not contributing to conception or it may also happen is not able to carry a pregnancy to the fullest term. According to the medical reports, in the US there are around 10 percent women (15- 24 years of age) who face difficulty in conceiving or having difficulty in staying pregnant. The statistics reach up to 8-12 percent of couples experience difficulty in conceiving and gain the infertility problems. Somewhere in the range of 45 and 50 percent of cases are thought to come from components that influence the man. So, if this happens in your case also then it is highly recommended to seek the help of a reproductive endocrinologist. If you have some of the following scenarios then you must visit an endocrinologist as soon as possible.

• Infrequent menstrual periods- Ovulation of the egg is very important to get pregnant. So, if this happens that a woman experiences irregular or infrequent menstrual periods then it is not a good sign for your conceiving.
• Female age of 35 years or older- the number of eggs decrease as the age of the women increases. So, it is advisable to plan your family before a woman reaches at the age of 35 or older.
• A history of pelvic or sexually transmitted diseases- Gonorrhea or any other sexually transmitted infections can result in permanent scarring of the fallopian tubes or inflammation. To evaluate the opening of the fallopian tube, endocrinologists recommend an HSG test.
• Known Uterine fibroids or endometrial polyps- to correct this abnormality doctors use instruments and a camera placed within the uterus cavity.
• Known male factor semen abnormalities- if there is the case than a man had experienced infertility with prior partners then, in that case, doctors recommend early infertility evaluation.

Factors of risk- the risk factors that increase the risk include:

1. Obesity or overweight- if a man or a woman is obese then the risk of infertility increases.
2. Age- After the age of 32, it becomes difficult for a woman to conceive.
3. Diet- Folic acid, iron, zinc, and Vitamin B-12 are important for fertility.
4. Mental Stress- if you have too much mental stress then it can affect male sperm production and female ovulation and can even lead to less interest in sexual activity.
5. Alcohol and Smoking- Consuming alcohol irrespective of the amount can cause infertility. Smoking results in infertility in man and woman and even it undermines the effects of fertility treatment.
6. Chronic conditions- it includes cancer or AIDS.
7. Thyroid problems- If your hormonal level is imbalanced which may be due to the overactive or underactive thyroid gland.
8. Other factors- infertility may occur due to some other reasons including improper medications, treatments, and drugs. Cholesterol level also impacts fertility.

Treatment- the treatment for infertility depends upon various factors including age of the person, the tenure of infertility, personal preferences, and the general state of health.

-Intercourse frequency- Doctors advise the couples to increase the frequency of sexual intercourse and mostly at those 6 days of ovulation.

-Varicocele- Removing a varicose vein surgically helps out in the case of infertility.

-Human Chorionic gonadotropin- it is used together with HMG, FSH, and clomiphene which helps in stimulating the follicle to ovulate.

– Metformin- Metformin may help women with PCOS especially when it is linked to insulin resistance in such cases where clomifene is ineffective.

Complications of the treatment- there are some complications which arise due to infertility and its treatments like if conceiving doesn’t occur after many months of regular sexual activity then it may lead to mental stress or possibly a depression. It may also lead to some physical effects.

Coping up with mental stress- the very first thing to know about the treatment is the time duration which means how long the treatment will run and how successful it would be? Both the partners need to support each other emotionally or else it can affect their relationship.  Talking to a similar group of people may also help you out but if the stress is beyond the limit then you must consult a doctor who may recommend you a counselor.