Most people think that infertility is defined wholly by the inability to conceive, and while this is one of the major symptoms of infertility, it is not the only one. There are more symptoms of infertility and symptoms related to infertility that fall outside the simple inability to conceive and there are different symptoms for men and for women. One of the symptoms of infertility for women is irregular periods. For men, issues related to sexual function may be a symptom of infertility. Couples who are trying to conceive without success should speak to a family doctor about whether they are infertile.
The most identifying symptom of infertility is the inability to conceive, but the length of time that it takes a couple to conceive is also a factor. Couples who have been having unprotected sex for 12 months or more without getting pregnant may be displaying one of the symptoms of infertility. There are many couples, however, who go on to conceived after this 12-month period. There are cases in which people try for years to get pregnant and conceive long after giving up hope of ever having a biological child.
Although there are other symptoms of infertility other than the inability to conceive, some people do not present any of these other symptoms. In some cases, the sole symptom is the fact that a couple cannot get pregnant. In these cases, once a couple has been defined as being possibly infertile, the factors causing the infertility are usually addressed. These are many and various and can be explored with a family doctor.
One of the common symptoms of infertility that can affect both men and women is the emotional response to being unable to conceive. It is common for couples who are trying to conceive to go through a range of emotions when they begin to suspect that they are infertile. Anxiety, depression, frustration, feelings of inadequacy, and various other responses can be among the psychological symptoms of infertility. There are also some doctors and medical professionals who believe that stress may be one of the causes of infertility, which means that a couple trying to conceive can fall into a cycle in which one of the symptoms of infertility also becomes one of the causes.
