CAUSES OF INFERTILITY IN WOMEN AT REPRODUCTIVE AGE

Infertility is a global health issue affecting approximately 8-10% of couples. It is a multidimensional problem with social, economic and cultural implications, which can take threatening proportions in countries with strong demographic problems, such as Greece. Lately, an increasing number of couples with infertility problems choose the artificial insemination. The purpose of the study was to investigate the causes of infertility in women of reproductive age. Material and Method: The study population consisted of 110 infertile women who sought medical help in a private Assisted Reproduction Center for a period of 2 months. Collection of data was performed by means of a specifically designed questionnaire, which apart from the demographic data, it included questions concerning the causes of infertility. Results: The sample studied consisted of 110 infertile women. Regarding marital status 94.4% (106) of the participants were married and 3.6% (4) unmarried. Regarding age, 64.5% were 20–29 years old, 20.0% were 30-39 years old, 11,8% were 40-49 years old and 3.7% were over 50 years old. As to occupation status, 35% of the participants were employees in the private sector, 27% were employees in the public sector, 24% were self employees and 14% dealt with the household. Regarding educational status, 3.6% had finished primary school, 31.8% had finished high school, 56.4% were University graduates and 8.2% were graduates of another school. Concerning the causes of infertility, 27.4% of the problems were due to fallopian tubes dysfunction, followed infertility of «unknown» cause in 24.5% of the cases, 20% were due to disorders of menstruation, 9.1% due to problems of the uterus, 2,7% due to sexual disorders, another 2,7% because of age and in a very small percentage, infertility was caused by ovarian failure.egarding the daily habits of the participants, 45.5% were smokers. Conclusions: The causes of female infertility are problems in the fallopian tubes and the uterus, disorders of menstruation, sexual disorders, age and ovarian failure. Female infertility is a complex problem that should be considered carefully by the government and stakeholders in each country and especially by those

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