What does 'being fertile' mean and what factors influence fertility?

Fertility is the ability to reproduce or procreate. In humans, male and female fertility differ in some points. One of them is the effect of age, since the fertile stage of women is limited over the years. In addition to time, there are other factors that can influence the pregnancy, such as irregularities in the menstrual cycle, alterations in the function of the ovaries or failures in sperm production.

Below you have an index with all the points that we will discuss in this article.

Index

What does 'being fertile' mean and what factors influence fertility?

• 1. What factors influence fertility?
• 2. Male fertility
• 3. Female fertility
• 3.1. Fertile cycle of the woman
• 4. Study of fertility
• 5. Questions from users
• 5.1. Can I increase my fertility?
• 5.2. Can I have a fertility study in Social Security?
• 5.3. Can I know my fertility level by my flow?

What factors influence fertility?

In humans, there are many factors that determine the ability to procreate, both in men and women. Among the most outstanding, we find:

• The reproductive age.
• The ability to have sex.
• The health of both parents.
• The quality of semen.
• The quality of the ovules.
• The ability of the woman to gestate.

Factors that influence fertility

Male fertility

The male fertility depends directly on the production of sperm, the quality of these and the ability to go outside.

Man is born with immature male organs and, with the onset of puberty, hormonal changes occur that allow sperm to begin to be generated in the testicles.

Inside the testicles, in structures called seminiferous tubules, sperm are produced permanently. Subsequently, they are transported through the vas deferens and expelled through the urethra by ejaculation.

Any alteration that influences any of these steps will affect, to a lesser or greater extent, male fertility.

In some studies, it has been seen that there may be a decrease in seminal quality with age, since some parameters such as concentration or mobility worsen. However, these changes in male fertility are not as pronounced as in the case of women and can be a biological father even after 50 years.

If you want to know more about male sterility, you can visit the following link: What is male sterility?

Fertile cycle of the woman

Although the woman is fertile throughout the menstrual cycle, the chances of getting pregnant vary throughout the menstrual cycle.

It is during ovulation (when the ovum is expelled from the ovaries into the fallopian tubes) and the days when it is most likely to get pregnant. This is so because in that period it is easier for the egg and the sperm to be found and, therefore, fertilization occurs.

In a regular cycle, ovulation occurs approximately on day 14 of the cycle or, which is the same, 14 days after the start of the last menstruation. Therefore, the most fertile window of the woman is placed around that day.

Considering the date on which you expect to ovulate and increasing the frequency of sexual intercourse during that week, the chances of getting pregnant will increase. Based on this information, calendars or ovulation calculators can be useful in the search for pregnancy.

In spite of that, the exact day of ovulation can change from one woman to another. There may also be variations in the same woman between one period and another, especially if there are irregular menstrual cycles or if there is an ovulation problem. For this reason, this information is not always applicable and, sometimes, it is necessary to resort to other methods, such as ovulation tests or induction of ovulation treatments.

Questions from users

fertility test in Madrid(Spain)