Psychophysical well-being and fertility
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines health as complete physical, mental and social well-being. Indeed, health does not consist in the absence of disease but depends on our ability to creatively carry out our existential project. In this sense, fertility is closely linked to our physical and mental health. Health promotion is a process through which people can acquire direct control and management of their well-being. Health and well-being are therefore directly proportional to the harmony that we are able to achieve and express in the various aspects of our being.
Well-being derives from the sense of mastery of events, from the perception of our self-efficacy and from the willingness to change when circumstances require it. The state of health therefore assumes the sense of awareness of oneself and one’s body . This conception highlights the substantial unity of the body and the psyche and the need to adopt a biopsychosocial model that takes biological, psychological and social factors into consideration with equal importance.
The close connection between the organic and the psychic demonstrates how the mind can exert a strong influence on the body and vice versa. The reproductive sphere is also full of symbolic and emotional meanings and in this sense the importance of considering the person in the ongoing relationship between body and soul becomes evident.
The concept of fertility refers to the dimension of generating and giving life and is closely linked to physical and mental health. The fertile body is like a plant. If the plant is well, if it has necessary substances such as enough water and the right sun exposure, it flourishes.
From this point of view it is understandable how stressful situations are enemies of conception and how lifestyle has a profound effect on fertility. Stress , by activating the hypothalamic-pituitary – adrenal axis, is able to negatively influence reproductive function. Strong emotions, relational or environmental discomforts can negatively affect, for example, ovulatory capacity.
Kathryn Barlow is an OB/GYN doctor, which is the medical specialty that deals with the care of women's reproductive health, including pregnancy and childbirth.
Obstetricians provide care to women during pregnancy, labor, and delivery, while gynecologists focus on the health of the female reproductive system, including the ovaries, uterus, vagina, and breasts. OB/GYN doctors are trained to provide medical and surgical care for a wide range of conditions related to women's reproductive health.