09 Aug 11
1:09 PM

Fertility is defined as probability of achieving a pregnancy within two years of unprotected sex. Infertility is not a disease but a symptom which more than physical causes mental agony. Fertility can be impaired due to problems encountered in either or both partners. Male and female factors contribute to 30-35% of infertility, while l0% belongs to the unexplained group. Unexplained infertility means that all the known investigations performed on both the partners are normal and the cause of infertility is unknown. 20-25% of infertility is due to varied combination of problems. When diagnosing and treating infertility the woman's age is very much a cause of concern to the clinician. In these times with women sacrificing their prime years to profession and career their fertility is taking a backseat. This is so because with increasing age both the number and the quality of eggs deteriorate. There is no evidence whatsoever to state a drop in male fertility with age. However there is concern regarding the spermatozoa being affected by the varied pollutants around us. Thus increasing levels of pollution especially in the metros is an area of concern. There remains no doubt that male infertility is also on a rise.