This condition is called sterility or better still, infertility. A couple can be called infertile if there is no conception after 12 months of contraceptive-free intercourse if the female is under the age of 34 or the couple has not conceived after 6 months of contraceptive-free intercourse if the female is over the age of 35. This difference is because the quality of eggs declines in the female after the age of 35. Infertility can be due to problems in the male as well as female. The tendency of most families is however to blame the female and dump her, so that the man get married again. This is not only morally wrong but also medically incorrect because an infertile man will continue to have the same problem after going to another woman. In men, infertility has multiple causes which can be tackled only by a qualified specialist. A common cause of infertility in men is alcoholism and smoking (which go together) but such men refuse to admit their problem. Other causes of infertility in men are

• Hypogonadism (poor functioning of testicles leading to poor quality of semen with less number of sperms or absence of sperms)
• If testes are not fully descended into the scrotum, they won’t function normally and there will be infertility
• Repeated minor injuries, hydrocele (collection of fluid in scrotal sac), mumps, malaria etc also lead to infertility In women too causes of infertility are many and can be treated only by specialists like gynecologists and endocrinologists. Some terms are listed below only for your information. They cannot be elaborated in a web page
• Ovary problems: polycystic ovary syndrome, anovulation, premature menopause, etc
• Tubal problems: here the fallopian tubes that connect the ovary to the uterus are faulty and don’t allow the egg to come to the uterus for fertilisation, e.g. endometriosis, adhesions, pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) etc
• Uterus problems: fibroids, tumors
• Cervix problems: narrowing (stenosis), anti-sperm antibodies
• Vagina problems: obstruction to penetration by penis