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Statistics show that the human
fertility is on the decline worldwide. The modem society is experiencing
vital changes in marital statuses. There is a marked trend of delayed
marriage as also postponement of pregnancy.
The decline in female fertility is
mainly due to delayed age of child bearing. While the primary cause of
male infertility today is exposure to a wide range of hazardous chemicals
present at the home, at work place, in the diet and in environment and the
increasing use of intoxicants.
Delayed Marriage and Child Bearing.
Every where in the world, the
younger generation, is getting increasingly career conscious, resulting
into postponement of marriage and consequently the child bearing. Advances
in age affect both the quality and quantity of oocytes. It has been
observed that about one third of the women who defer pregnancy until the
mid to late 30s, while at-least half of the women over 40 will have
infertility problem. Pregnancy gets nearly static after 45 years. In
males, advancing age is associated to some extent with decrease in sperm
production motility and number of normal sperm.
Occupational Factors.
In recent years there has been
increased concern about the reproductive risks of environment. Chemicals
and pesticides at work place such as organophosphorus compounds,
biodegradable resistant chemicals such as dichlorodiphenyl
trichloromethane (DDT) and polychlorinated biphenyls reduce sperm count
and alter sperm function. In women, exposure to video display terminals
chemicals and beauty products, lead to spontaneous abortions and birth
defects in the baby.
Increasing use of Intoxicants.
It is a common observation that
smoking reduces both the chances of getting pregnant and success of
fertility treatment programme. The metabolites of cigarette smoking are
toxic to sperms, leading to high percentage of morphologically abnormal
sperm and also to embryo. Nearly 40% of couples face infertility risk if
20 or more cigarettes are consumed per day. There is no evidence to
indicate that mild alcohol intake affects fertility. However, heavy
consumption of alcohol has toxic effects and affects male ejaculation,
potency and result in decrease in the number of sperm.
In female the risk of infertility is
increased by 70% by taking five or more drinks per week. Most opiate
dependent women (85%) have major menstrual irregularities and about 90%
are infertile. Cocaine, marijuana, smack and opium impair male
infertility. In our country nearly 58% of male are addicted before they
attain the age of 20 years. Even high level of intake of caffeinated
drinks (over 3-4 cups of tea or coffee per day) may be associated with
delay in conception.
Rising rate of Obesity.
The knowledge that obesity may
seriously compromise the reproductive potential of a woman is not new.
There are numerous implication of obesity. Obesity can attenuate the
hormone metabolism and feedback system to the pituitary. The ideal body
weight for reproduction should fall between 95% and 129% of ideal body
weight
Stress and Strain on the Body.
The fast pace of modem life
generally leads to psychological stress. Stress has been found to be a
contributing factor in the functional abnormalities of hypothalamus,
pituitary and ovarian axis, resulting into perturbing the normal
menstrual cycle which may lead to an ovulation and ultimately to
infertility .
Liberal use of Contraceptives and
Multiple sex Relations.
The intrauterine contraceptive
devices are found to increase the risk of developing clinical pelvic
inflammatory disease (PID). In 5-10% cases PID may be so severe to result
in permanent tubulel damage. Further because of the increased tendency of
keeping multiple sex partners in recent years PID is on the rise.
Conclusion
This alarming rate of decline of
human fertility potential may threaten the very existence of the human
race in times to come. Immediate remedial steps need to be taken to arrest
this decline. Avoiding damaging environmental exposure and living a
healthy life style can prevent human infertility in approximately 20% of
cases.Ð
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