Involuntary Childlessness – What is the cause?
In every of the above four steps it can go wrong. This is where the causes of involuntary childlessness can be found.
There are a lot of causes for involuntary childlessness and in up to 2/3 of the cases, it is – for the individual couple – a combination of several.
The causes are here described with a starting point in the previously mentioned four steps.
Step 1. Low sperm count can hinder pregnancy. If there are not enough sperm or if the sperm are unable to swim up into the Fallopian tubes, pregnancy is not possible. Hereditary circumstances and possibly environmental circumstances play a role in the quality of the sperm. The mumps or illnesses in the scrotum may also lower the sperm count. Changes in the cervix, for example cervical catarrh or reduced production of mucous can be the cause of the sperm not being able to reach and fertilise the egg.
Step 2. Lack of ovulation hinders pregnancy. Often, this is caused by hormonal circumstances, hereditary conditions or obesity.
Step 3. Adhesion of the Fallopian tubes can prevent pregnancy. The egg, coming from the ovary, is not caught and therefore fertilisation is unable to take place. Adhesion of the Fallopian tubes can, for example arise after a pelvic inflammatory disease (chlamydia infection) or stomach surgery.
Step 4. Changes in the uterus, for example fibroids or polypi, can be the cause of the fertilised egg being unable to attach to the mucous membrane of the uterus. With approximately 25% of the involuntary childless there is no evidence of abnormal conditions with neither the woman nor the man.
The woman’s age is of critical importance. The older the woman is, the harder it is for her to become pregnant.