Involuntary childlessness is the cause of much anxiety among those who are eager to become parents. In the majority of cases, getting pregnant is simply a question of keeping at it and patience. However, in some cases infertility may be the root of the problem. In this article we will have a quick look at why this happens and what can be done about it.

Not getting pregnant right after having stopped using contraceptives is not very uncommon. In fact, about 10 to 15 percent of all women experience problems with getting pregnant at the time they want to. If both the man and the woman are healthy, 80 - 90 percent of these women will still get pregnant within about a year and after about two years of trying as many has 95 percent have eventually succeeded.

About four to seven percent will never be able to conceive a mutual child.

Primary and Secondary Infertility

A distinction is usually made between what is called primary and secondary infertility. The term primary is used for someone who hasn't bee able to get pregnant, despite actively trying for at least a year.

Secondary indicates that the woman has been pregnant at least once before, resulting in either a healthy baby or in a miscarriage, but that she since then has been unable to get pregnant. An earlier pregnancy generally improves the chance of getting pregnant again with about 50 percent. For this reason secondary infertility isn't usually investigated before about a year of failed attempts.

Reasons For Infertility

When the reason for infertility can be determined, about one third of the cases are due to female factors and another third is due to male factors. The final third is due to both male and female factors. In about 10 to 25 percent of the cases of infertility, the cause can't be clearly determined.

Fertilization is a complex process that needs many physiological processes to work together in order to result in a pregnancy. To begin with both the male and female must have normal, fully working sexual organs. The man's testicles and the woman's ovaries need to produce adequate amount of hormones.

Furthermore, the hormone production needs to be carefully regulated and timed by the sexual glands as well as the pituitary gland and hypothalamus in the brain.

Even under ideal conditions each ovulation is calculated to yield a 20 percent chance of successful fertilization and pregnancy. But even if there is no joy after over a year of trying, and you or your partner are diagnosed with some type of infertility, all hope is not lost. There are several treatments available that may help you become pregnant anyway.