Why is the infertility rate increasing year by year (health concern)

Infertility involves multidisciplinary diseases. Reproduction is the eternal theme of human reproduction. The occurrence, maturation and operation of sperm and eggs, the formation of fertilized eggs, embryo implantation and fetal growth and development are the biological basis of human reproduction. Due to environmental pollution, mental stress, delayed childbearing age and other factors, the incidence of infertility worldwide is increasing year by year. The diagnostic criteria of infertility formulated by WHO in 1990 are: those who have had normal sexual life for one year but failed to conceive are infertile, also known as low fertility. Qiao Jie, director of the Reproductive Medicine Center of Peking University Third Hospital, said that for a long time, the cause of infertility was complicated and the treatment was not standardized, which not only brought great pain to patients' body and mind and family, but also seriously affected the work and life of people of childbearing age. Infertility is a complex disease involving many subjects, in which female infertility accounts for about 40%, male infertility accounts for about 40%, and unexplained infertility accounts for about 20%. Sometimes quite a few men and women have problems at the same time. The etiology covers five categories: female ovulation disorder, pelvic lesions, male infertility, immune factors and unexplained infertility. Subjects involve obstetrics and gynecology, andrology, genetics, embryology, ethics, psychology and so on. Qiao Jie said that human reproductive function is not only closely related to the anatomical and physiological functions of the reproductive system, but also influenced by complex factors such as socio-psychological factors, environmental and occupational factors. In the whole reproductive physiological process, any link is disturbed, which may lead to reproductive dysfunction or bad reproductive outcome, mainly manifested as sexual dysfunction, abnormal menstruation, ovulation disorder, infertility, and even premature reproductive failure. There are many factors for female infertility. 1. The incidence of female ovulation disorder accounts for about 25% ~ 30% of infertility. The most common ones are polycystic ovary syndrome, premature ovarian failure, congenital gonadal dysplasia, luteal insufficiency, luteinized unruptured follicle syndrome, etc. Female reproductive function is regulated by hypothalamus-pituitary-ovary axis. The adverse effects of environment and psychology interfere with the neuroendocrine regulation mechanism of female hypothalamus-pituitary-ovary axis, leading to ovulation dysfunction. At the same time, harmful substances make corpus luteum function insufficient or poison embryos to cause teratogenesis, increase the probability of spontaneous abortion, and lead to adverse reproductive outcomes. Secondly, pelvic factors account for about 30% of female infertility, including endometriosis, reproductive tract malformation, tubal obstruction caused by chronic inflammation and reproductive tract tumors. Among them, endometriosis is a common gynecological disease of female infertility and chronic pelvic pain. Among infertile patients, 25% to 35% suffer from endometriosis, and the infertility rate can be as high as 40%. Pelvic infectious diseases include specific infection and non-specific infection, which mainly cause tubal lesions and lead to infertility. Tubal infertility is the most common cause of secondary infertility, which is related to pelvic infection, sexually transmitted diseases and repeated induced abortions. Thirdly, other common infertility factors include the history of ectopic pregnancy, immune factors, uterine fibroids, and the birth of elderly women. With the increase of women's age, the number and quality of their eggs are declining. In the process of fertilization and embryo formation, there is a high risk of genetic defects, which leads to chromosome abnormalities in many eggs and increases the chances of miscarriage or fetal malformation. Therefore, the best childbearing age for women is before the age of 35. Male infertility factors: sexual dysfunction and sperm abnormality are the most common causes of male infertility. Sexual dysfunction includes genital tract malformation, ejaculation disorder, impotence, retrograde ejaculation, etc. Sperm abnormalities include oligozoospermia and azoospermia. In addition, there are endocrine diseases, which are secondary to hormone imbalance in patients, including hypothalamic diseases, pituitary diseases and endogenous or exogenous sex hormone abnormalities. Qiao Jie pointed out that old age has become the chief culprit of infertility: after women are 35 years old, ovarian function begins to decline, and the probability of pregnancy drops sharply; Beware of unhealthy lifestyles: the number of births of women is directly proportional to the incidence of infertility; To treat infertility, you should go to a regular hospital. Clinically, only 10%-20% people need IVF technology. Related Links The first test-tube baby in Chinese mainland was born in Peking University Third Hospital on 1988, which is nearly 10 years since the birth of the first test-tube baby in the world. In recent years, China's assisted reproductive technology has developed very rapidly. The number of reproductive medicine centers has grown from the initial number to nearly 300 at present, and its derivative technology has become increasingly mature, reaching the international advanced level. With the continuous backward movement of human reproductive age, fertility difficulties will also increase. If other reproductive disorders are added, the treatment will become more difficult, and there may be problems such as abortion and embryo malformation. Therefore, doctors advise women of childbearing age to choose the one with the best ovarian function.