Secondary infertility is the inability to conceive by a woman, who had previously been pregnant successfully. It is very common and accounts for almost 60% of infertility cases. National Survey of Family Growth states there are over 1 million couples dealing with infertility. People, who have children, do not think it is possible for them to experience infertility in the future. However, this is not true and ends up with physically and emotionally frustrated couples.

What Is Secondary Infertility?

The inability to conceive for the second time, when you had no problems conceiving the first time, can be very shocking and frustrating. This type of infertility is termed as secondary infertility and affects 1 out of 7 couples and is more common than primary infertility. It becomes very frustrating when you get periods and feel confused and dispirited. It is even more difficult to handle when your friends are becoming mothers the second time.

It is more likely to affect older couples, since the older you get, the fertility rates fall and increases the chances of infertility. Fertility specialists are available to advice and offer help. People are over-coming embarrassment and fear to get consultation from specialists.

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What Are the Possible Causes for Secondary Infertility?

• Age. The higher the age of the women, the lesser the egg reserves in the ovaries. Women are most fertile between age group of 15-30 and fertility drops drastically after age of 35.
• Irregular periods. Normal menstrual cycle is between 26-35 days and any irregularity in the cycle will create problems in determining the exact ovulation phase. If there are any other problems in the luteal phase (time between ovulation and start of periods) there can be implantation problems. This can be corrected by hormonal therapy.
• Untimely intercourse. It can be possible that you have gotten lucky during the first pregnancy and did not require planning. Having children around may not give a couple time to have stress-free and well-timed intercourse.
• Male problems. In case of change in male partner, there could be a case of male infertility. Even men, who have fathered children, could have fertility issues. Semen analysis can determine the motility and morphology of sperms.
• Other causes. Various other factors can cause secondary infertility like drastic weight gain or weight loss. Conditions like endometriosis or Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) can also cause this. A previous C-section can cause scar tissue formation, which can cause problems in implantation of fertilized eggs in the uterine lining.
• Unknown reason. Secondary infertility can sometimes be caused for no known medical reason.

What to Do with Secondary Infertility

See a Doctor

Women under the age of 35, who are having regular intercourse for a year and do not get pregnant should see a doctor or fertility expert. Women over 35 should try for 6 months and if unsuccessful, should see the doctor. In some cases the appointment should be made earlier and it would depend if one of the following conditions applies to you:

• Have experienced two or more miscarriages
• Have irregular or painful periods
• Vaginal discharge which causes burning sensation, or is with foul odor
• The male partner experiences decrease in sex drive, painful ejaculations or reduced sperm count

Some tests will be carried out by the fertility expert or your doctor to determine the following conditions:

• Whether eggs are being produced
• Adequate number of sperms are being produced
• The sperms generated are of good quality – mobility and morphology

Don’t Give Up on Trying

Sometimes even after all the tests, the doctors are unable to provide an answer to the question as to why the couple is unable to conceive. This can get frustrating. However, if the woman is under the age of 30 years, the chances of conceiving are higher. 15% of couples who do not know the reason of the infertility, do conceive within a year of trying and 35% couple conceive within two years. It is important that couples do not lose hope.

There are chances that you find out that you cannot conceive at all and it can get depressing and upsetting. Especially when you feel that you cannot get the family you want or provide a sibling for your child. However, there could be conflicting feelings in this situation, since you already have a child and know the joy of being a parent.

A child can have a very happy and healthy childhood even without the presence of siblings, since they can have an environment with other relations in their life, like friends, grandparents and cousins.

Avoid Risk Factors

Risk Factors	Description
Alcohol	High alcohol intake can cause decrease sperm count in men. Women should also avoid alcohol when they are trying to conceive, as pregnancy will be identified only after some time. Frequent intake of alcohol can cause birth defects in the fetus.
Smoking	Smoking can lead to erectile dysfunction, low sperm count in men and increase chances of miscarriage in women. The fertility treatment is less effective when women smoke.
Weight	Restrictive diet or being anemic or bulimic can cause infertility. Inactivity and being overweight also can lead to infertility. Men might suffer from low sperm count and low testosterone level when overweight.
Exercise	No exercise or inactivity can lead to infertility in both men and women. Women who perform strenuous or rigorous exercises and are not over weight can have ovulation problems.