1. Infertility Due to Abnormal Blood Clotting
Doctors define infertility as the inability to conceive following twelve months of well-timed, unprotected intercourse. There's many causes of infertility in men and women. Some cases of infertility result from autoimmune disorders or diseases. In these instances, the body produces antibodies that attack its own organs and blood vessels. In cases of autoimmune infertility, the body attacks fertilized eggs, sperm or reproductive organs. One cause of autoimmune related infertility is abnormal blood clotting. In these cases of infertility, a woman's body will consider a fertilized egg as harmful. Her body will then try to prevent the fertilized egg from implanting in her uterus, or it will try to cut off the blood supply to an implanted embryo. The woman's body accomplishes this through the abnormal clotting of her blood. If her blood clots abnormally, the woman may experience infertility or recurrent pregnancy losses (miscarriages). Autoimmune diseases that can lead to this type of infertility include antiphospholipid syndrome and lupus.
2. Male and Female Rejection of Sperm
Not only can a woman's body reject fertilized eggs and embryos, but it can also reject her partner's sperm. Some women with autoimmune diseases have immune systems that see sperm as dangerous invaders. If such a woman has intercourse, her immune system can go into overdrive creating antibodies that can kill off any sperm that may be present. In some cases, the antibodies don't kill the sperm; rather they impair the sperm's activity and motility. If a woman's immune system kills sperm or lowers their motility, she will likely have trouble conceiving. Also, note that a man's body can also reject his own sperm due to autoimmune conditions. This can lower his sperm count and affect sperm activity, which can render him infertile.
3. Premature Ovarian Failure (POF)
Some women can experience infertility due to premature ovarian failure (POF). Approximately 1percent of women under the age of forty have premature ovarian failure, also known as premature menopause. This condition leads to irregular menstrual periods, high levels of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and the inability of the woman's ovaries to release eggs (ovulate). If a woman cannot ovulate, she can't conceive. Certain autoimmune diseases can lead to premature ovarian failure, including lupus, type 1 diabetes and Addison's disease. Some women can experience premature ovarian failure even without actually having a specific autoimmune disease such as those just mentioned. In these particular cases, the woman's body creates antibodies that attack the parts of her body that produce her hormones. Without the proper hormone production, premature ovarian failure can result.
