Sterility in Latin America: causes, clinical characteristics, and laboratory diagnosis

Abstract

Infertility, defined as the inability to achieve pregnancy after one year of regular unprotected sexual intercourse, affects a significant proportion of the reproductive-age population in Latin America, where it is influenced by socioeconomic and cultural factors and limitations in access to reproductive health services. This research aimed to identify infertility in Latin America: causes, clinical characteristics and laboratory diagnosis. Applying an explanatory and bibliographic documentary methodology, a database was investigated in journals indexed in Scopus, Pubmed, Scielo, Science Directe, Dialnet. All articles in Spanish and English published in the corresponding years from 2019 to 2024 were included. Studies in Latin America reveal that infertility is a multifactorial condition, influenced by infections such as sexually transmitted diseases and pelvic inflammatory disease, as well as by endocrine and metabolic disorders (e.g., polycystic ovary syndrome), hormonal imbalances and lifestyle factors (such as obesity and smoking), in addition to genetic background. Common clinical features include hormonal, inflammatory and infectious problems, with symptoms such as dysmenorrhea, pelvic pain, endometriosis and ovulation difficulties. In the diagnosis, hormonal and semen analyses are fundamental, evaluating key hormones such as Luteinizing Hormone, Follicle Stimulating Hormone, prolactin, estradiol and testosterone. It is concluded that the recurrent presence of sexually transmitted infections, conditions such as endometriosis and polycystic ovary syndrome, and lifestyle factors underline the need for prevention strategies, early diagnosis and personalized treatment.