Okay, this is going to be fun or not, but I'm really curious to hear a professional's opinion!
Some context first; my ABO interpretation was built not thinking of wolves or even mammals as a reference, but rather reptiles, some fish, and birds; that said, the omega (female or male) would only go into heat when instigated and influenced by their partner.
This would be the hormonal equivalent of entering the fertile period (in male omegas, this would also imply the development of an entire internal reproductive system that would otherwise be dormant)
(( It is also possible for a male omega to use male reproductive organs without problems; it's a matter of preference between the couple. (Female alphas have a similar system; when stimulated to rut, they develop internal characteristics of a male reproductive system)
Therefore, the reproductive characteristics of the secondary genus are not always apparent.
Now, in this context, how do you think the issue of infertility/sterilization would be addressed? Would the factor of both genders be considered, or only the second? Is an alpha male considered infertile for not being able to enter a rut, or for not producing sperm? Or both?
Can a female omega be considered sterile simply because she is unable to enter a heat cycle, even though her reproductive organs are still functioning perfectly?
Is a male omega sterile because he can't produce sperm? But what if he's still able to develop internal reproductive organs?
I feel now, after typing all this, that perhaps this question isn't exactly the type you're looking for. Sorry, but I'd love to hear your academic opinion on this!
(And I'm incredibly shy, so I'll post this anonymously!( ´Д`)ノ)
Heyyy don’t be sorry at all, i love and welcome any and all questions, this is a space for discussions after all! And I’d love to hear more from you actually because I’ve been thinking about how there’s so many different ways to approach a/b/o-verse and i think I’ll expand on it in the future definitely!
For your question, firstly I’d like to list all the factors that are processes of their own, but of course have interplay amongst each other:
Anatomy of the reproductive tract
Physiological and Endocrinological baseline of the person
Now, infertility can be caused by a number of factors:
Structural abnormalities (abnormal anatomy)
Physiological/endocrinological disturbances
Drug/alchohol use/lifestyle
Now, the inability to produce gonadal cells (sex cells like sperm/egg) is what is termed as True Infertility.
But if the issue lies in not being able to get into a rut, it will be more in the area of impotence.
Inability to go into heat/rut
Inability to use primary sex organs
Let me know if you’ve got any other questions/or want me to expand on anything!