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Stress Mediated Infertility

Meaning

Stress Mediated Infertility describes the clinical condition where chronic psychological or physiological stress directly impairs reproductive capacity by disrupting the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis. Sustained elevation of cortisol and other stress mediators inhibits the pulsatile release of Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone (GnRH) from the hypothalamus. This suppression leads to a downstream reduction in Luteinizing Hormone (LH) and Follicle-Stimulating Hormone (FSH), which are essential for gamete maturation and sex hormone production. Addressing the underlying stress response is a primary therapeutic step to restore normal ovulatory and spermatogenic function.