Male impotence and sterility and female infertility and sterility are common medical issues that occur around the world. Impotence and sterility are sexual dysfunctions. Infertility is a physical condition.
There can be physical or psychological roots to impotence, which is generally curable with the proper treatment.
Impotence and sterility are not the same thing. This article will help explain the difference.
Impotence/erectile dysfunction
Erections occur when blood rushes and is retained by sponge-like bodies within the penis, and typically occurs during times of sexual arousal. When men are unable to develop or maintain an erection, it is referred to as impotence or erectile dysfunction (ED).
Causes
There are two kinds of reasons why men would experience erectile dysfunction. It is generally either an indication of a physical ailment or imbalance in the body, or it has psychological roots. Physical impotence can be caused by a circulatory issue, such as a change to the voltage-gated potassium channel (as occurs during arsenic poisoning), or it could be related to a cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hormonal insufficiency, or the side effects of a drug such as anti-depressants and nicotine. Aging also plays a key role in erectile dysfunction, as it is four times higher in men in their sixties than men in their forties.
Psychological impotence based off of the negative thoughts and feelings that the man may be experiencing. These factors can lead to impotence:
- Performance anxiety
- Stress
- Mental disorders (clinical depression, schizophrenia, substance abuse, panic disorder, etc.).
Treatment
Different treatment options for impotence are available depending on the cause of. If the erectile dysfunction is based in a physical issue, then attempt to treat the underlying issue (such as potassium deficiency or arsenic contamination). In rarer cases, penile prostheses, a penis pump may be needed.
Although psychological impotence occurs less frequently, it has shown positive responses to treatment. If the impotence has psychological roots, then there tends to be a positive response to placebo treatment.
Natural Healing Solutions
Although the Food and Drug Administration does not recommend alternative therapies or medications, there are several herbal formulas that can help erectile dysfunction. These “herbal Viagra” products can be popular, although the FDA warns that there are no clinical trials or scientific studies that suggest that they prevent erectile dysfunction.
Infertility
The medical community describes someone as infertile if they do not become pregnant after one year of trying to conceive. If a woman is over 35 and they try unsuccessfully to conceive after six months, they are considered infertile.
Infertility isn’t limited to women. About one-third of infertility problems are attributed to men, usually due to low sperm count, low sperm motility and testicle size (the larger the testicles, the more likely fertility may be an issue). About one-third is attributed to problems that both the man and the woman have.
Causes
Infertility can be caused for many different reasons.
In women, it’s caused by:
- Blocked fallopian tubes
- Uterine fibroids
- Other issues with the uterus
- Hormonal imbalance
- Too much exercise
- Being too thin or excessively overweight
In men, it’s caused by:
- Previous illness (such as mumps, kidney disease or hormone issues)
- Wearing ‘jockey’ style underwear
Causes that impact both men and women include:
- Smoking, drinking and doing drugs
- Poor diet and exercise habits
- Environmental toxins
- Taking prescription medications
Natural Healing Solutions
First, balance the body-and thus hormones-by performing a Full Body Cleanse
Eat a diet rich in hormone balancing vegetables such as:
- Broccoli
- Kale
- Mushrooms
- Cauliflower
- Cabbage
- Bok choy
- Kohlrhabi
- Brussel sprouts
- Rutabaga
- Turnip greens
Consider supplementing your diet with:
- Zinc
- Essential fatty acids (EFAs)
- Folic Acid
- Vitamin E
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin A
Sterility
Sterility describes an individual’s physiological inability to reproduce. It can refer to any living organism, such as a plant, animal, or human.
Causes
There a few different potential causes for sterility. As counterintuitive as it may seem, some creatures actually inherit sterility, as with the mule. Mules are genetically unable to reproduce. Sterility may be acquired from the physical environment, such as by drinking contaminated water. It may also originate from physical injury, disease, or exposure to radiation.
Historical Background and Current Usage
Although this practice is very much frowned upon during modern times, sterility has also been used as a weapon. For instance, during World War II, the Nazis sterilized many Jewish women and women of other races that they found impure. It has also been occasionally used as a form of birth control for developing countries where the population is growing at an exponential and destructive rate. Compulsory sterilization was popular in many countries during the first half of the twentieth century, including Canada, Japan, Sweden, and the United States.
The US was the first country to enact compulsory sterilization for eugenic purposes as a national program. The program primarily sought to sterilize people who were mentally handicapped or mentally ill, although some states targeted the blind, deaf, epileptic, and physically deformed people. Activist Angela Davis alleges that some states targeted African American and Native American women. The program was eventually discontinued following ethical concerns, especially after the extent of Hitler’s eugenics movement was discovered post-WWII.
Some countries offer benefits such as medical care, land, or housing to people who agree to be sterilized. Although India’s policy is somewhat controversial, it continues to be practiced today. Recently, human rights organizations such as Amnesty International have accused China of inflicting compulsory sterilization on women who have already reached their one child limit, as per the famous “One Child Policy.”
