Struggling with infertility issues is a common problem for many folks. The fact of the matter is that fertility struggles can come from a number of sources, and they affect men and women both. Whether you’re talking about a problem like low sperm count, irregular ovulation, or any number of other medical conditions it can create tremendous amounts of stress and frustration.

Sometimes, illness can affect your fertility. conditions like PID, STDs, endometriosis, and a variety of abdominal diseases can affect your fertility.  Appendicitis and colitis can both cause the abdominal cavity to become inflamed, and this can cause scarring or blockage of the fallopian tubes.  Any abdominal surgery can cause scarring that could interfere with conception as well.

Cancer can also affect fertility.  Cancer can certainly affect the reproductive organs, such as the ovaries, the cervix, or the lining of the uterus.  In addition, treatments for cancer such as chemotherapy or radiation therapy can harm the ovaries, or damage the fallopian tubes or uterine lining.

The thing to remember, however, is that these aren’t the most common reasons for infertility. In fact, these are actually pretty rare. More common problems of fertilty with men, for example, have to do with low sperm count. In addition to a low sperm count, some men’s sperm have problems with motility, or the ability of the sperm to swim forward.  For some men, their bodies may contain antibodies that counteract their own sperm.  Sometimes, there is a problem with the vas deferens, the tube that carries the sperm from the testicles into the body.

For women, there can be many different problems that can cause infertility.  PID or Pelvic Inflammatory disease can lead to infertility.  Some women develop antibodies to a partner’s sperm.  Some women have irregular ovulation cycles.  A woman may have failure of the ovaries or of the pituitary gland.  Endometriosis may head to infertility.  Some studies suggest that long-term use of the birth control pill may also lead to infertility.  A woman may have a blockage or damage to the fallopian tubes.  Several conditions involving the reproductive organs, such as fibroids, an abnormal womb shape, or congenital abnormalities may also lead to infertility.