Study finds stress linked to fertility issues in women
Pregnancy is already a stressful time on its own, but a study is showing that stress itself might make it harder for women to conceive.
In a study published in The Endocrine Society, a group of scientists in China showed that exposing female rats to a scream sound could have lowered their ovarian reserve - the reproductive potential of a woman's ovaries - and made it harder for them to conceive.
According to Wenyan Xi, Ph.D., of the Second Affiliation Hospital of Xi'an Jiao Tong University in Xian, China, they found that “female rats exposed to the scream sound had diminished ovarian reserve and decreased fertility.”
The study involved exposing female rats to a scream sound for three weeks, and then examining how it affected their sex hormones, the number and quality of their eggs, as well as their ability to conceive after mating.
Decreased estrogen and Anti-Mullerian hormone levels were found in the rats that were exposed to the scream. The Anti-Mullerian hormones help form reproductive organs and are produced from the ovaries, while estrogen is important in reproductive development.
Aside from these changes in hormone levels, the scientists also found that the number and quality of the eggs were also lowered, resulting in smaller litters for the rats. Since women can only produce a finite number of eggs, a lower ovarian reserve will make it harder for them to get pregnant.
The researchers suggest further studies be conducted to determine an association between chronic stress and ovarian reserve because doing so may expand our appreciation of the limitations of current clinical interventions and provide valuable insight into the cause of diminished ovarian reserve.”
This is the latest study on female reproductive health to release results. Back in December of last year, scientists were able to map the region of the brain that responds to the clitoris. The discovery is important as it can pave the way for treatment for victims of sexual violence.
According to the study's co-author, Charite University Hospital medical psychology professor Christine Heim, since those who have suffered traumatic sexual violence have seen the areas of their brain devoted to the genitals become thinner, the results of the study can be used to further treatments for those who have suffered sexual violence or have sexual dysfunction.
“This could be the response of the brain to limit the detrimental perception of the abuse." said Heim.
The study involved 20 women in good health between the age of 18 and 45 receiving clitoral stimulation with the use of a small round object designed specifically for the task. It was placed above the underwear of the test subject right where the clitoris would be and vibrate.
Meanwhile, in vitro fertilization (IVF) is one of the most popular method of assisted reproduction. Check out the celebrities who had children via IVF in the gallery below:
