Did you know that sterility and infertility are not synonymous?
The Women's Unit is launching a series of articles dedicated to answering any questions you may have about infertility. Of course, you can also submit any requests through our Facebook page , and we'll tailor our articles to your needs.
Definition of concepts
First, one of the most controversial issues concerns the exact meaning of the term "sterility." Although it appears as a synonym for "infertility" even in the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE), it's worth clarifying an important but simple nuance. This will help you fully understand what specialists are referring to when using one term or another.
The word sterility refers to the inability to conceive , that is, to achieve pregnancy.
While the term infertility refers to the inability to carry a pregnancy to term and give birth to a healthy child , in this case conception did occur, but the pregnancy did not reach full term or the child died within the first 24 hours after birth.
Within each of these reproductive problems we find 2 variants:
We speak of secondary sterility or infertility when the difficulty in conceiving or gestating occurs after one or more pregnancies that have come to term.
And of primary sterility or infertility when the impediments appear from the first attempt.
Factors causing female infertility
The causes of reproductive problems, more specifically infertility, in women depend on several factors , which are:
- Ovarian: Hormonal failures, resulting from disorders such as polycystic ovaries or premature menopause, which prevent ovulation.
- Uterine: congenital disorders - partial or complete duplication, septa– or acquired -polyp, fibroid, endometritis- in the internal anatomy of the uterus that can cause repeated miscarriages.
- Tubal: alterations in the fallopian tubes, such as obstruction or permeability, impermeability or absence of the tubes, which prevent or hinder the encounter between the egg and the sperm.
- Cervical: Functional abnormalities - consistency or quantity of vaginal discharge - or anatomical abnormalities - polyps, cysts, stenosis, agenesis, etc. - of the cervix or neck of the uterus that obstruct the path of sperm to the egg.
- Genetic: We are faced with another factor related more to infertility than to sterility and which consists of chromosomal disorders that cause spontaneous abortions.
Factors causing male infertility
Genetic factor - sperm abnormalities -.
Anatomical - obstructions in the vas deferens -.
Other related diseases : infectious diseases, hormonal dysfunctions…
Combined
Combined infertility occurs when both partners, male and female, are infertile or have difficulty conceiving without medical assistance.
Of unknown origin
In 10% of cases , the abnormalities that prevent pregnancy cannot be detected.
Symptom
You may have noticed that every time we refer to the "symptoms" of infertility, we do so with quotation marks around the term. The basic reason is that this reproductive problem doesn't have symptoms as such, but there are some irregularities or conditions that can help predict it, even before trying to conceive—which is why regular gynecological checkups are so important.
- Irregular menstrual cycle.
- Infections of the genital apparatus.
Other 'symptoms', or rather indicators, are related to the woman's age - which directly affects the quality of the eggs - and her lifestyle, since unhealthy habits - excessive consumption of alcohol or caffeine, smoking, extreme diets or lack of physical exercise - can lead to reproductive problems of varying degrees.
Solutions to infertility
Once you have visited your gynecologist and the diagnosis has been confirmed, the following options are available to address infertility:
- Follow one diet rich and varied.
- Practice exercise moderate 2/3 times per week.
- Delete the consumption of toxic and/or addictive substances.
- Resort to the treatment pharmacological.
- Surgery for cases where it is necessary, such as fibroids, polyps or endometriosis.
- Assisted Reproduction.
If you found this article interesting and would like to be seen by a specialist in Gynecology and Obstetrics, the Women's Unit at Ruber International Hospital has a specialized department in this area. You can request more information by calling 91 387 51 72/73/74 or schedule an in-person appointment with top specialists.