Fertility is the ability to conceive and give birth to a healthy baby. It concerns both males and females.
For women, fertility involves releasing an egg from the ovaries as a rule. If the egg meets a sperm as a result of having sex, it can lead to pregnancy. Women have a uterus (or womb) where a baby grows.
For men, fertility means producing healthy and active sperm which are needed to fertilise an egg and start a pregnancy. Sperm is produced in the testes.
Many things can affect fertility. Age, genes (inherited traits), health, and lifestyle choices can all play a role. Some medical conditions can make it harder to get pregnant or father a child. Things like stress, being overweight or underweight, smoking, drinking alcohol, or exposure to harmful substances can also impact fertility.
If someone is having trouble conceiving, there are medical treatments available to help. These treatments can assist in having a baby when it’s challenging to do it through sex.
It’s important for you to know about fertility because it helps you understand how your body works and the potential challenges you might face if and when you want to have children in the future.