Causes

Fertility tests (also known as infertility tests) are investigations conducted to determine why a couple is not successful in becoming pregnant. If a couple planning on having a baby has been having normal, unprotected sex for over a year without a positive outcome, it is time to find out why.

Many couples who wish to have a baby but are finding it difficult or impossible to do so using their own sperm or eggs can now realize their dream by using sperm or eggs donated by someone else. The practice of donating sperm is a fairly simple procedure and has been around for quite some time. More recent though is the practice of donating eggs for use by women who are unable to produce enough healthy eggs of their own.

Most people are unaware of the fact that humans are one of the least fertile creatures on earth. Because conception is possible only during a fairly short period within the menstrual cycle, the chances of successfully conceiving is only around 25% each month among fertile couples.

Just as a woman's body undergoes hormonal changes at puberty, so also, as she ages, her body slowly starts reducing the production of hormones like estrogen and progesterone that aid her ability to reproduce. Her periods become erratic, irregular and then stop completely. A woman who has not had a period for 12 consecutive months is said to have reached menopause after her last period, provided there are no other causes like illness or pregnancy for this change.

January 2005 saw the birth of a baby daughter to a Romanian woman, Adriana Iliescu. Possibly an unremarkable event other than at the time of the birth the mother, Adriana, was 66years old. Eliza Maria Iliescu was born six weeks prematurely by cesarean section and weighed 3lbs at birth.

In the reproductive cycle, both men and women produce gametes or reproductive germ cells. Females produce gametes known as ova (singular ovum) that are larger than male gametes (spermatozoon). The presence of both gametes is required for fertilization to take place.

All of us learned about the female reproductive system in school and yet when dealing with issues regarding fertility, it's good to refresh our knowledge.

The human species is divided into male and female and each has its own unique reproductive system. Although different in structure, both the reproductive systems are designed specifically to produce, nourish and transport either the ovum (egg) or the sperm.

With more and more couples deciding to hold off on having children it is no small wonder that many men and women are not finding out about potential fertility troubles until later in life today than in the past. There are many myths surrounding fertility and infertility in genera. Because of all the myths some people, particularly those who are trying to conceive are finding it difficult to separate fact from fiction when it comes to fertility.