Often surgery is necessary which may involve removal of reproductive organs. Often indistiguishable from appendicitis, it is a leading cause of hospitalization in young sexually-active women. In fact, hospitalization with intravenous antibiotics may be the deal-breaker in trying to prevent infertility in the future when a woman suffers such an infection. Alcoholism and smoking can affect sperm count. Other illicit drug abuse can cause impotence, infertility, recurrent miscarriage, and birth defects.
Pelvic adhesions can cause mechanical kinks in or blocks to the fallopian tubes.
Barriers like these can prevent egg from meeting sperm for conception. Besides infection, pelvic surgery is a major cause of adhesions. There are first steps to work up the femal patient, but the male must no be ignored, for nearly half of all infertility is male-related. It makes no sense to put a woman through expense and discomfort with exotic tests before a man merely has to render a sperm sample. Still, it's amazing how many men are reluctant to provide this while their wives are pressing on with gynecological routines.