Infertility in partners is the state where the female partner is unable to attain pregnancy despite engaging in coitus for a while. Infertility in males and females may be due to a number of reasons.

These reasons may not be only due to timing but can also be due to physical or hormonal illnesses. Infertility in females can be caused due to problems in the menstrual cycle, while in males, prostate cancer, chronic pain, or obesity may be the reason.

However, stress and anxiety can also be involved when it comes to problems with fertility.

Let us look into a few causes in detail in this article.

Infertility Caused by Menstrual Cycle Issues

The menstrual cycle in a female makes her body ready to allow fertilisation of the egg and, therefore, allow pregnancy to take place. The menstrual cycle occurs due to ovulation. Ovulation is the release of a mature egg from the ovaries once in a month. The cycle for menstruation in a healthy woman lasts for a period of 28 days. However, when it comes to infertility issues, they mostly deal with improper or irregular ovulation in females. Improper ovulation leads to an irregular menstrual cycle.

In certain cases, a woman can also miss her period completely. This could either be for a month or a couple of months consecutively. On the same note, missing one’s period can also be the sign for a successful pregnancy. In case a woman misses her period more than once but also finds herself to test negative for a pregnancy test, it could be the sign for a disorder in the menstrual cycle. This condition is known as amenorrhea. The causes of amenorrhea could be:

• Hormonal disorders,
• Genetic disorders, or
• Structural disorders.

Amenorrhea could be of two types primary amenorrhea and secondary amenorrhea.

No matter what the condition may be, menstrual cycles in women are often subject to variations. The causes which may lead to symptoms of a disorder include

• Stress and anxiety,
• Contraceptive medication,
• Thyroid problems, and
• Weight disorders.

One of the major reasons which can lead to issues with the menstrual cycle is Polycystic Ovary Syndrome or PCOS. Uterine fibroids are another reason which leads to disorders in the menstrual cycle. Different women have different reasons for irregular periods. Most of the issues with the menstrual cycle are treatable.

However, in order to understand how irregular periods can lead to infertility, we need to understand how the menstrual cycle affects the fertility of women. The menstrual cycle begins with

• mood swings,
• fatigue,
• cramps, and
• tenderness in the breasts.

The hormones in the body regulate the release of the egg and prepare the uterus to allow the fertilized egg to plant on its walls. This initiates the gestation period, thereby leading to pregnancy. The combination of hormones such as Luteinizing Hormone (LH), estrogen, and Follicle-stimulating Hormone (FSH) leads to a successful pregnancy. Thus, in order to carry out a successful pregnancy, the various parts and support systems must function normally.

Any abnormal behaviour in the uterine system and the reproductive system leads to complications in the pregnancy. In certain cases, fertility may be reduced, leading to unsuccessful fertilization of the egg. In worst cases, the egg may not be produced at all. These are the various types of issues one may face when it comes to infertility due to menstrual problems. It is advised to check up with a doctor once one notices deviations from the normal functioning of the uterus.

Infertility Caused By Musculoskeletal Pain

Since the root cause of infertility is primarily hormonal imbalance, musculoskeletal pain also leads to problems with infertility of both male and female.

Hormone profiles can often be affected by a number of reasons, which include the following:

• Weight disorders.
• Chronic pain.

Disorders in the musculoskeletal system cause problems in the following in males:

• Sperm density,
• Sperm motility, and
• The activity of sperms in general.

They lower the activity of the sperms, thereby rendering them ineffective or less effective.

Male patients who are overweight or exhibit chronic pain despite having a normal weight show to have less motile sperms when their sperm analysis test was taken. Male patients who were obese were found to have increased conversion rates of androgens to estradiol. This causes the hypothalamus part of the brain to secrete more Follicular Stimulating Hormone (FSH) and Luteinising Hormone (LH).

Therefore, the functioning of the male gonads along with the testicles is reduced way below the normal levels. The production of testosterone is decreased, thereby leading to infertility in males.

In the case of males experiencing chronic pain, infertility has been one of the major side-effects. However, scientific studies have not been able to explain the reasons well enough.

The possible reason behind chronic pain affecting male fertility could be the synthesis of hormones estradiol and progesterone in the tissues of the spinal cord and the brain. The areas of the central nervous system, which contain receptors to the androgen and estrogen hormones, cause the local synthesis of steroids. These steroids have an immense effect on the nervous system of the male body.

The chronic pain in one’s body is often associated with the disorders in one’s musculoskeletal systems. Furthermore, research says that a direct link can be established between obesity and chronic pain. Thus, both affect semen production and the semen quality overall.

In women, reproductive pain can be one of the reasons for infertility. Reproductive pain may be a sign of endometriosis, which requires treatment. Females may undergo a case of hydrosalpinx wherein the fallopian tube is obstructed by clear fluid. Chronic pain often renders the body unfit to conceive in the case of females. Back pain can be the reason for a weak back. Musculoskeletal disorders may involve

nerve disorders,

• arthritis,
• inflammation,
• bowel disorders

Male patients may experience chronic pelvic pain due to prostate cancer. It causes hematospermia, which leads to blood in the urine. Prostate cancer requires treatment, which includes radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and hormonal therapy. These lead to a reduction in the sperm cells, and as a result, the amount of semen produced is also low. Thus, both obesity and chronic pain can pave the way for infertility in both males and females.

Due to Stress/Anxiety

For ages, people have wondered whether stress and anxiety can affect the fertility of males and females. With recent studies, it has been successfully proven that stress and anxiety do pose challenges to one’s fertility. Not just anxiety disorders and stress but mental illnesses like clinical depression, performance anxiety, etc. can result in poor sperm production or lesser rates of successful conception.

Just like every issue with fertility arises from hormonal imbalance, stress, and anxiety, too, cause problems with hormone production in the body. The central nervous systems of our bodies release the stress hormone cortisol, which controls the blood pressure, heart rate, and breathing of a person. The effects can range from insomnia to irritability and can even cause physical distress such as headaches and blurry vision. The heightened state of cautiousness causes the body to shut down. The reproductive system behaves abnormally as well, causing a delay in the monthly menstruation.

Anxiety and stress can directly affect your thought process. Both tend to amplify your thoughts, causing more harm to your physical being subconsciously. Since the reproductive system and the hormones which aid coitus and conception are highly controlled by the state of mind, anxiety and stress can cause the body to be less relaxed for a successful conception. A disturbed emotional state of mind can often cause issues as serious as physical illnesses. Anxiety combined with effects of stress can cause the hypothalamus, gonads, and the pituitary gland to operate with less efficiency.

However, stress and anxiety problems affect males much less compared to females. However, according to studies, one partner being affected emotionally can lead to bad performance during coitus. This can prolong the period of time a couple has to try to attempt to conceive a child. Stress can also affect the relationship between a man and a woman apart from causing problems in their sexual lives.

Even though a woman needs a healthy body and a relaxed mind for successful fertilization, just relaxation does not suffice. One needs to control the stress hormone cortisol as a reduction in its production leads to the reproductive organs performing in a normal manner.

Furthermore, yoga and meditation also work to calm down the body. Regular exercise helps bring balance to the hormones in the body. Furthermore, a healthy diet lets one stay fit. One can also approach a professional to take therapy with regard to their problems. The therapists usually put their patients on cognitive behavioral therapy to get over the issues they have with anxiety and stress. When dealing with infertility issues between partners, the psychological dynamic must not be overlooked. Often emotions like

• grief,
• anger,
• shock,
• trauma,
• low self-esteem,
• low self-confidence, and
• anger can control one’s state of mind and hamper one’s sexual performance.