From a young age, men and women tend to have a preconceived notion of what his or her overall reproductive health is. During a study in 2009, 1800 unmarried young men and women were asked about the status of his or her reproductive health (Polis & Zain, 2012). One of the questions asked was if these men and women were infertile or fertile. After the study, results concluded that 19% of women and 13% of men reported being infertile (Polis & Zabin, 2012). When in fact the CDC reports that only 12% of women and 9% of men are infertile (Center for Disease Control (CDC), 2017). Because of the belief’s these young adults have regarding men and women’s reproductive health, some men and women choose not to use a form of protection. Not only can this lead to unintended pregnancy but, also, an increased risk of contracting a sexually transmitted disease (STD) (Polis & Zabin, 2012).

            Sexually transmitted diseases(STD) can lead to infertility in both men and women. That is why people need to understand the importance of protection and to see a doctor if there are concerns about his or her reproductive health (Ochsendorf, 2008). Without knowing the truth young adults are at risk for becoming infertile. STD’s such as Chlamydia and Gonorrhea can cause pelvic inflammatory disease in women which results in tubal obstruction. Chlamydia and Gonorrhea can cause epididymitis in men (Ochsendorf, 2008). Epididymitis is the inflammation of the tube in the testicles that stores and carries the sperm (Mayo Clinic, 2017). These are the reasons why STD’s often cause infertility among men and women (Ochsendorf, 2008).

            STD’s are not the only cause of infertility. Some causes are chronic diseases that cannot be avoided, while other causes are unknown. Among women, common causes of infertility are tubal blockage, endometriosis, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), and advanced maternal age (American Pregnancy Association (APA), 2017). The most common causes of infertility in men are declining sperm counts, testicular abnormalities, and erectile dysfunction. For twenty- five percent of infertile couples there is more than one cause of infertility (American Pregnancy Association (APA), 2017).

American Pregnancy Association(APA). (2017). Fertility and infertility faq. Retrieved from    http://americanpregnancy.org/infertility/fertility-faq/

 Mayo Clinic. (2017). Infertility. Retrieved from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases- conditions/infertility/symptoms-causes/syc-20354317

Polis, C.B., & Zabin L.S. (2012). Missed conceptions or misconceptions: Perceived infertility     among unmarried young adults in the united states. Perspectives on Sexual & Reproductive Health, 44(1).30-38.

Ochsendorf, F.R. (2008). Sexually transmitted infections: Impact on male fertility. Andrologia, 40(2).72-75

When it comes to infertility, it is not something that is often see on the news. Infertility treatments such as Invitro Fertilization (IVF) may be seen on commercials but there aren’t news sources that bring awareness to how common infertility is. Studies show that 1 in every 8 couples struggle to conceive. That means that millions of American are affected by infertility every day. In order to bring awareness and support to people struggling with infertility April 23-29, 2017 is National Infertility Awareness Week. This week was started in 1989 not only to bring awareness but, also, to encourage the public to understand their reproductive health. By doing this is there is hope that people will recognize the things that may cause infertility, such as STI’s or STD’s. STI’s and STD’s can, for the most part, be avoided by having protected sex therefore making it more likely for couples to conceive naturally and not experience infertility. With that said, however, there are cases where infertility cannot be explained. Couples will go through testing and nothing will be seen as abnormal. During this week people may see local events going on in their area to talk about infertility in their area. They may, also, see fundraising events for infertility awareness groups, as well as newspaper and television ads promoting the week. National Infertility Awareness Week has brought awareness of infertility to communities all across the nation.

The National Infertility Association (2017). National infertility awareness week. Retrieved from                       https://infertilityawareness.org/2017/02/13/news/  

Consumer Health Digest (2017). National infertility awareness week 2017- 23^rd to 29^th april. Retrieved from https://www.consumerhealthdigest.com/health-awareness/national- infertility-awareness-week.html

Infertility is defined as the inability to conceive after trying for a year or more by having unprotected sex. Infertility is a common problem among both, men and women. Approximately 6% of women ages 15 to 44 years old do not conceive after a year of trying and in 8% of couples who suffer from infertility the man is the issue in conceiving. Several issues can lead to infertility, the most common issue in women is Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome a condition that causes a woman not to ovulate at all or irregularly. The most common issue in men is Varicoceles a condition that is caused by the veins of a man’s testicles being larger than average causing excess heat which then affects the number and shape of the sperm. Those are just the two most common, there are many other issues that cause a person to be infertile such as hormonal and genetic disorders among men and fallopian tube obstruction, and abnormal uterine contour among women. There are, however, other circumstanced that can lead couples to believe they are infertile such as women who have issues getting pregnant and carrying a pregnancy to full term. This condition is called impaired fecundity and it affects approximately 12% of women ages 15 to 44. Infertility is important because there is no cure and for those who want children in the future they can take precautions to preserve their fertility. Doctors can treat infertility with medicine, surgery, intrauterine insemination or assisted reproductive technology as a last resort but even going to that extent doesn’t work for some couples. That is why this topic applies to myself and my classmates. We have the opportunity to educate ourselves in ways to prevent infertility. Some of these ways include not smoking, drinking an excessive amount, gaining or losing excessive amounts of weight, waiting to have children over 35 years old, etc. There are many other factors such as having protected sex to decrease the chances of an STI or STD, along with decreasing the amount of physical and emotional stress we are under. By educating ourselves now we can take the steps to preserve our chances of reproducing in the future.

References

Centers for Disease Control. (2017). Reproductive health. Retrieved from             https://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/infertility/index.htm