Lifestyle changes and decreased fertility

Today we live life on the fast track, controlled and manipulated like robots, by the hands of the clock. Life is a mad rush to compete, excel, accumulate wealth, and often spend it in a ‘riotous’ life.

The human body loves comfort. Food, sleep, recreation, sex are requirements that keep a person healthy. An imbalance in any of these essential elements is bound to create physiological and psychological disorders. Nowhere is it so explicitly evident as in the field of reproduction and fertility. In the last forty years, fertility has shown a decline, especially in rich countries or where the level of education is high. The speed of social change is another factor.

The woman, the man or the couple together can be the cause of the decrease in fertility.

Women

o The change in the roles of women has been cited as the main reason. About 64% of all working women are married. In some families they are the only ones who earn their bread. It is this empowerment that has given women so much attitude both in their demeanor and in their fashion statements. Many working women claim that they do not have any domestic skills.

o Lifestyle change: smoking, drug and alcohol use can have an adverse effect on fertility. Someone described a child born to an alcoholic mother as a “pathetic, hungry, withered, and imperfect little creature.”

o Risky behavior: disconnecting sex from marriage has led to cohabitation before marriage and extramarital ties. Promiscuity is a significant trend of this millennium. Therefore, women are exposed to sexually transmitted diseases, HIV, AIDS, and other bacterial infections, which can cause blocked tubes. Frequent termination of unwanted pregnancies can also leave a residual infection in the fallopian tubes or cause incompetence of the cervix. The latter can lead to recurrent miscarriages when the woman finally decides to maintain her pregnancy.

o Late marriages and late pregnancies: The harmful effects of postponing pregnancy until too late cannot be ignored. The most fertile period in a woman’s life is between the ages of 22 and 30. Fertility declines after age 40. Although many women like Cherry Blair and Susan Sarandon have given birth in their late forties, this is certainly not an ideal age. As one ages, the likelihood of miscarriages and abnormal fetuses increases. Medical complications such as pregnancy-induced hypertension, eclampsia, or diabetes can occur. Labor can also be difficult, and the incidence of surgical deliveries is skyrocketing.

Hypertension, diabetes, coronary heart disease are middle-aged problems. When these already exist, pregnancy places them in a “high risk” category. The growth of the fetus may be affected or there may be chromosomal abnormalities. Children born to such mothers may also be genetically programmed to suffer from similar illnesses in their adult life.

o Identity crisis: due to the dual role of housewife and wage earner, long working hours, lack of sleep, women suffer from anxiety and tension. Stress acts on the adrenal glands that become overactive and even produce small amounts of male hormone. Many professional women know this. Some choose to ignore it, but others quit their high-powered jobs and choose motherhood.

Cortisol leads to a higher waist: hip ratio. Some time ago, the BMJ published an interesting article on how the distribution of body fat can influence fertility more than age or obesity. Researchers in the Netherlands reported that 0.1 unit in waist-to-hip ratio led to a 30% decrease in conception rates, regardless of age or weight.

Men.

Studies from the US show that between 25 and 30 million men have experienced a decrease in sperm count over the years. Another study conducted by the Mumbai Institute for Reproduction Research shows that the quality and quantity of sperm has declined in the last two decades. Tests were performed on 1500 men between 1986-95, which showed a reduction in sperm count by 30% and a reduction in motility by 10%. Similar trends were seen in England, France, Denmark, Scotland, and Finland. In the West, this was attributed to an increase in testicular cancer, and in India, due to contamination with pesticides containing a high percentage of lead.

o Behavioral changes: “metrosexuals” are learning to be more feminine, more accommodating and more emotional. They like to dress up like women. Male beauty products are up 30% and those seeking plastic surgery are up 20%. According to the New York Times, male models are seen “chicken-breasted, sunken cheeks, and malnourished.”

With financially independent wives, many feel powerless. They are confused about their status within the family, and even categorize themselves as the “recently oppressed minority.”

o Lifestyles: Profitable and competitive jobs are not without stress. Erratic

Mealtime, fast food, processed food, lack of exercise, constant preoccupation with television or the Internet make both male and female bodies resistant to insulin. As a result, more insulin is produced and there is more fat accumulation, which leads to obesity, which decreases fertility.

Alcohol, while increasing desire, decreases performance. Drugs like marijuana lower testosterone levels by up to 41%. Narcotics, tranquilizers, and certain medications are known to reduce fertility.

Similarly, infections like TB, gonorrhea cause obstruction of the epididymis.

o Mode: the normal sperm count is between 60-200 million / ml. Studies show that counts have dropped by a third in men in their 30s and 40s. This may be because groin hugging jeans are popular with young people. Skinny jeans push the testicles toward the body, where the 98.6 degree temperature is 3 degrees higher than the scrotum. Similarly, men who use laptops also increase the temperature in the scrotum, as laptops run at 70 degrees C. Those who keep their cell phones in their pockets or strapped to their belts while wearing a headset for conversation as well they may be compromising your sperm.

o Age: men can maintain their virility until the seventh decade, but the belief that they could father normal children is debated. Advanced paternal age can cause autism or schizophrenia in their offspring. Harry Fischer in his book “The Male Biological Clock” says that fertility decreases with age and the risk of genetic abnormalities in your offspring is high.

o Andropause or male menopause can occur between the ages of 50 and 60. Men suffer from loss of libido in addition to other symptoms such as fatigue, loss of muscle volume, an enlarged prostate, and emotional problems.

Couples:

As income and social status increase, sexual activity decreases. Sometimes couples try to outdo each other in terms of employment status or earning capacity. This creates a “no win” situation in the bedroom. Several double-income couples say they don’t have time for sex. 50% of these suffer from infertility due to infrequent sexual activity. When it happens, it is a mechanical ritual.

Many men find it difficult to adjust to the demands of living with modern wives. With changing sexual equations, women not only flaunt their sexuality, they demand satisfaction. When they are disappointed, they openly express dissatisfaction with their spouses. This can cause psychological infertility and impotence in men.

When husbands work in other cities or countries, or are frequently away from home, as pilots or street vendors, there are fewer opportunities for marital sex. The ‘absent husband syndrome’ is responsible for the decreased sperm count.

Voluntary couples without children are on the rise. This can be by mutual consent. The fear of what children can do with these career-oriented people deprives them of sexual gratification. Sex becomes an enemy to be avoided at all costs. Because natural urges are suppressed, instability in marital relationships can occur. Sexual anorexia is expressed in psychosomatic symptoms, including infertility.

On the other hand, it could also lead to extramarital escapades or create an addiction to clandestine sex.

Some couples consider the high cost of raising and educating children and prefer not to have any.

It is time for couples to reevaluate their lifestyles and work patterns. Sorting the balances of power in a marital couple will facilitate “togetherness” and “intimacy.” Families are important building blocks of society and children are a ‘godly inheritance’.

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