Beyond Common Knowledge

When a couple are experiencing problems with conception, there is usually a good chance that their doctor can pinpoint their exact reasons for infertility - and we say reasons, plural, because sometimes there are actually more than one simple reason. For example, many people assume that conception problems are simply a woman’s issue, perhaps because she is the one who is completely responsible for pregnancy. However, common reasons for infertility are typically about 50/50 between the man and woman, meaning that it may very well be the man’s problem just as commonly as it is the woman’s.

However, there are some other rather common reasons for infertility that no one seems to want to talk about. This is probably due in part to the fact that these reasons are somewhat embarrassing to many people, or they deal with issues that people don’t want to change; it can be easier for them to simply say that it’s a medical issue rather than a lifestyle issue.

For example, one of the more common reasons for infertility that people don’t care to discuss has to do with smoking. Many people don’t want to talk about their smoking and their problems with conception, usually because they simply don’t want to give up those cigarettes! It’s easier for them to convince themselves that it must be something else, and that way they don’t need to address this habit. Also, if they were to be told that their smoking is interfering with their plans for conception, then they may feel guilty or feel as if they are letting their partner down.

One of the other embarrassing reasons for infertility has to do with body weight. Doctors are now finding out that there is a very strong link between obesity and issues with conception. While there is much yet to be discovered, it’s thought that when men and women are obese, the practices that keep them such - poor diet, lack of regular physical exercise - also harms their bodies in ways that medical science had not previously known was possible. Some of the reasons for infertility being interfered with by body weight include the fact that harmful cholesterol adheres not only to the heart’s arteries, but to the many small vessels that are involved in the reproductive system. Excessive body weight puts undue pressure on the uterus and fallopian tubes, interfering with ovulation (the dropping of an egg from the fallopian tubes to be fertilized) and with a fertilized egg then implanting itself to the lining of the uterus as well. If this does not happen, a fertilized egg can be miscarried before a woman even knows she is technically pregnant.

What is truly sad about these common reasons for infertility is that they are preventable with some simple lifestyle changes. Yes, it’s difficult to stop smoking and to lose weight, but if it means finally being able to conceive and achieve your dream of bringing a child into the world, you would think that potential parents would do whatever they could to correct and address these potential reasons for infertility as soon as they possibly could.