Meaning of Sterility' and Infertility': What's The Difference Between Infertility, Sterility & Subfertility?

Contents
What’s the Difference between Infertility, Sterility & Subfertility?

 1.
Meaning of ‘sterility’ and ‘infertility’
 1.1.
Primary and secondary sterility
 1.2.
Primary and secondary infertility
 2.
Causes of sterility in humans
 2.1.
Female sterility
 2.2.
Male sterility
 3.
‘Infertility’ versus ‘subfertility’
 4.
FAQs from users
 4.1.
Is infertility hereditary?
 4.2.
Do cats or dogs cause infertility in humans?
 4.3.
Are impotence and infertility linked?
 4.4.
What is Y chromosome infertility?
 5.
Suggested for you
Meaning of ‘sterility’ and ‘infertility’

The term sterility is defined as the inability to achieve a pregnancy because the
fusion between the egg and the sperm, that is, fertilization never occurs.
On the other hand, by infertility we mean the inability to carry a pregnancy to
term due to a problem that develops when fertilization has already taken place.
In this case, even though the egg-sperm binding does occur, the resulting
embryo is unable to implant or cannot develop till the end of the pregnancy, that
is, delivery.
What is
the difference between infertility and sterility?
In short, the purpose of having a baby cannot be fulfilled in any case.

Nevertheless, in cases of infertility, the chances of creating a family are a little bit
higher than in cases of sterility, although it might not be possible either.
In everyday language, some examples of words or terms used as synonyms
of infertile and sterile include the adjectives barren and unproductive.
Primary and secondary sterility
It should be noted that the concept of sterility can be split into two different
types:
Primary sterility
A couple whose gametes (egg and sperm) have never been able to cause
a pregnancy.
Secondary sterility
A couple who have been able to have children previously, but conception
does not occur when trying to conceive another child.
Primary and secondary infertility

Also, in the case of infertility, there exist two different types as well, which are
defined hereunder:
Primary infertility
Those couples who have never achieved a full-term pregnancy.
Secondary infertility
The couple have already had a child, but is unable to achieve a full-term
pregnancy again.
Causes of sterility in humans

Even though both sterility and infertility are two-way things, the cause behind it
might be related to the man, the woman, or both members of the couple. The
following is a detailed explanation of the most common causes of sterility
and infertility in males and females:
Female sterility
The most frequent causes of sterility in females are:
Endocrine causes
It comprises the set of problems related to the hormone control of

the menstrual cycle and ovulation. It can lead to alterations such as poor
egg quality, anovulation, amenorrhea, premature ovarian failure(POF), etc.
Tubal causes
Alterations in the Fallopian tubes, which is the place where the egg and
the sperm fuse together to create an embryo. A tubal
blockage, endometriosis, or salpingitis are some of the most common
abnormalities that occur in the tubes.
Cervical causes
The presence of functional and/or anatomical alterations in the cervix can

make it difficult for the sperm to ascend in the female genital tract,
thereby preventing fertilization.
Uterine causes
Malformations, myomas, uterine synechiae, endometritis, polyps, etc. can

prevent the sperm from reaching the oocyte.
These factors can also lead to female infertility, as fertilization still occurs in
some cases in spite of these abnormalities, though the resulting embryo is
unable to develop properly.
If you want to learn more, we recommend you to read the following
post: Female factor infertility.
Male sterility
As for the causes leading to sterility in males, the following are the main factors:
Pre-testicular causes
As in the case of females, abnormalities in the regulation of the hormones

that regulate spermatogenesis (i.e. the process by which spermatozoa are
produced) can have a negative impact on the development of sperms,
which can affect their fertilization potential.
Testicular causes
Pathologies such as orchitis, hydrocele, cryptorchidism, testicular trauma,

or varicocele are some of the most usual examples.
Post-testicular causes
Even though sperm production occurs normally, the man experiences

sperm ejection problems. Some examples of post-testicular male
infertility include: blockage of the vasa deferentia, seminal tract infections,
impotence, retrograde ejaculation, etc.
Sperm issues
It is also possible that sperm quality is insufficient to cause a natural

pregnancy. Problems related to sperm motility, sperm morphology,
or sperm count can prevent a couple from conceiving naturally.
The terms impotence and infertility in males are often confused, but there is an
important distinction between them:
 Impotence: inability to achieve and maintain an erection; in fact, it is a post-
testicular cause of infertility.
 Infertility: inability to achieve a successful pregnancy.
As in the previous case, even though this set of causes is basically related to
sterility, sometimes fertilization happens, but the problem is that the pregnancy
cannot be carried to term. In such scenario, it would be a case of male factor
infertility.
Are you interested in learning more about fertility issues in men? Then do not
miss the following article: Male factor infertility.
‘Infertility’ versus ‘subfertility’
As explained earlier, infertility allows the couple to go one step further in the
journey toward pregnancy. In this case, the fusion between the egg and the
sperm does occur and results in an embryo. However, the problem with infertility
is that the embryo is unable to attach to the maternal uterus or to develop
properly until childbirth.
For this reason, one can define the term infertility as the inability to achieve a
full-term pregnancy, and bring a healthy baby home. On the other hand,
by subfertility we refer to a couple being able to achieve a successful
pregnancy, but with more difficulty.
For example, a woman in her 40s is considered to be subfertile, as the chances
for pregnancy exist, but are lower in comparison to younger females.
In addition to the reasons listed above, which sometimes can lead to sterility
and, in others, to infertility, there exist other causes related to the embryo and
its development/growth. The most common ones include:
Implantation failure
This abnormality prevents the woman from having a full-term pregnancy,

as the embryo is unable to implant into the endometrial lining.
Miscarriage or pregnancy loss
Pregnancy occurs, but stops at some point of fetal development, which

causes the woman to miscarry.
In short, the cause that prevents full-term pregnancies can appear at early
pregnancy, such as in cases of implantation failure, in which embryo
implantation is not possible. Pregnancy might also stop progressing at more
advances stages of fetal development, which leads to miscarriage as well.
Conversely, common causes of subfertility include endometriosis, tubal disease,
ovulatory disorders, sperm abnormalities, advancing female age, uterine
abnormalities, and peritoneal adhesions.

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Contents

What’s the Difference between Infertility, Sterility & Subfertility?

Meaning of ‘sterility’ and ‘infertility’

In short, the purpose of having a baby cannot be fulfilled in any case.

Primary and secondary infertility

Those couples who have never achieved a full-term pregnancy.

Causes of sterility in humans

It comprises the set of problems related to the hormone control of

The presence of functional and/or anatomical alterations in the cervix can

Malformations, myomas, uterine synechiae, endometritis, polyps, etc. can

As in the case of females, abnormalities in the regulation of the hormones

Pathologies such as orchitis, hydrocele, cryptorchidism, testicular trauma,

Even though sperm production occurs normally, the man experiences

It is also possible that sperm quality is insufficient to cause a natural

This abnormality prevents the woman from having a full-term pregnancy,

Miscarriage or pregnancy loss

Pregnancy occurs, but stops at some point of fetal development, which

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