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Global Infertility

Experiences in Other Countries

By Debora Geary

One of the saddest realities of infertility in much of the developing world is that it is largely preventable. "Most of the infertility is due to preventable infections," says Inhorn. These infections can be due to sexually transmitted diseases, poor hygiene and harmful health care practices. In addition, secondary infertility can be caused by untreated or poorly treated postpartum complications.

Both men and women in developing countries are exposed to higher levels of environmental and dietary toxins than people in North America. These factors might be particularly significant as causes of male infertility, which can contribute as much as 70 percent of the overall infertility problem in some developing countries, such as those in the Middle East. "Although the causes of male infertility remain largely unknown, a variety of reproductive toxicants, such as ambient lead, the chemicals in cigarettes and various pesticides, are known to be spermatotoxic," says Inhorn. "Again, prevention is the key; we need to clean up the environment and keep men from smoking to lower their risk."

Want to see more?

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• Overcoming Infertility: A Compassionate Resource for Getting Pregnant
• Truth Be Told: Uncovering Common Infertility Myths
• Talk about it!