How is infertility caused?

Written by Zhang Wei Wei
Integrative Medicine
Updated on January 13, 2025
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Common causes of infertility in women often stem from ovulatory disorders and tubal factors. The common ovulatory disorders mainly include dysfunction of the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis, ovarian diseases, and endocrine metabolic diseases such as hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism. Other causes include systemic diseases, chronic consumptive diseases, severe malnutrition, excessive obesity, and excessive thinness. The second aspect involves tubal factors, such as inflammation and blockage of the fallopian tubes leading to infertility. The third aspect is uterine factors, which include poor uterine development, uterine abnormalities, endometritis, and endometrial tuberculosis, all of which can cause infertility. The fourth aspect is cervical factors, including cervical myomas, cervical inflammation, and abnormalities in cervical immunological function. The fifth aspect is factors related to the vaginal and perineal areas, where abnormal development, inflammation, and scarring of the vagina can cause infertility. As for men, the causes of infertility include abnormalities in semen, sexual function, and immunological factors. Immunological factors primarily involve the production of antibodies against one's own sperm in the body, causing ejaculated semen to agglutinate with itself and fail to pass through cervical mucus. Thus, from the perspectives of both men and women, these are the main causes of infertility.

Other Voices

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Written by Shen Li Wen
Obstetrics and Gynecology
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What tests are done for secondary infertility?

The most common cause of secondary infertility in women is blocked fallopian tubes. In this case, a hysterosalpingography with iodine oil should be performed to understand the patency of the fallopian tubes and the specific location of the blockage, which can guide future treatment. Additionally, if a woman has abnormal vaginal discharge, a routine gynecological examination should be conducted to check for any cervical lesions. A vaginal secretion test should be performed to see if vaginal inflammation is affecting normal pregnancy. Some women experience infertility after having an abortion or induced abortion, and for these women, it's also worth considering whether uterine issues are causing secondary infertility. A hysteroscopy can be done to investigate this. When a woman experiences secondary infertility, her sexual partner or spouse should also be examined to assess sperm quality and any potential obstacles in the sperm delivery pathway.

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Written by Kang Jian Hua
Reproductive Center
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What is infertility?

Infertility refers to the condition where, despite a couple having regular sexual intercourse without contraception for more than a year, the woman does not become pregnant, at which point infertility is diagnosed. Infertility includes primary infertility and secondary infertility. Primary infertility refers to those who have never been pregnant before; secondary infertility refers to individuals who have previously given birth or been pregnant but later, despite trying to conceive for over a year without contraception and having regular sexual intercourse, are unable to become pregnant.

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Written by Zhang Lu
Obstetrics
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How long does it take to be considered infertile when trying to conceive?

Pregnancy for women requires a certain amount of time to be successful, and if one cannot become pregnant in the short term, it does not necessarily mean infertility. It could be due to irregular ovulation or incorrect timing of sexual activity. In clinical practice, it is generally considered that if one has been trying to conceive normally without deliberate contraception and still cannot become pregnant after a year, then infertility should be diagnosed. For cases where conception hasn't occurred after a year of trying, examinations should be carried out for both partners to determine if there are any pathological factors. First, the male partner should have chromosome and sperm analysis; Second, the female partner should be checked for chromosomal infections, immune factors, rheumatology factors, etc. After clearly identifying the reasons, interventions should be made as much as possible to guide normal conception.

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Written by Kang Jian Hua
Reproductive Center
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The difference between infertility and sterility

In clinical practice, we often mention infertility and sterility, so what is the difference between them? Let us take a look. Infertility refers to a condition where a couple has regular sexual intercourse, does not take any contraceptive measures, and the duration reaches over a year, yet the female cannot become pregnant; this is called infertility. If the male can cause the female to become pregnant, or has previously impregnated a woman, but she cannot carry a baby to term, we call this sterility. This is the difference between infertility and sterility.

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Written by Zhang Lu
Obstetrics
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Why does a chocolate cyst cause infertility?

Chocolate cysts, also known as ovarian endometriomas, are a manifestation of endometriosis. Generally, it refers to the implantation of endometrial tissue on the ovaries, causing local infiltration and invasion, leading to cysts. Because the fluid inside the cyst resembles chocolate, they are called chocolate cysts. Chocolate cysts may cause infertility, for the following reasons: First, chocolate cysts can affect the function of the ovaries, causing ovulatory disorders and ovarian dysfunction. The secretion of estrogen and progesterone is relatively low, and these factors can lead to infertility. Second, chocolate cysts can cause adhesions within the pelvic cavity, affecting the egg-picking function of the fallopian tubes. This factor can also lead to female infertility.