What Increases A Woman’s Risk Of Infertility?

Most of the risk factors for infertility are same for men and women, but some are different.

If you're under 35 and have had frequent unprotected sex for more than a year without conceiving, there is a good chance that you or your partner may have a condition that is interfering with your chances of conceiving, but only a doctor can diagnose a fertility problem for sure.

Risk factors of infertility for women:

Many things can change a woman’s ability to have a baby. They include:

Age: Maternal age is probably the most significant risk factor that is related to a woman’s ability to conceive. As age increases, the ability of ovaries to produce normal and healthy eggs decreases, so the chance of becoming pregnant decreases.

Even you conceive during 30’s, there are great chances for chromosomal abnormalities and unsuccessful implantation. The ability of successful pregnancy starts to decrease from your 30s.

Endometriosis: It is estimated that 40-50% of the infertile women may have endometriosis. Endometriosis can disrupt the ovaries' normal cycle of egg development and release. Scar tissue from endometriosis can form adhesions around the ovary and restrict the available surface area of the ovary for egg release.

Diabetes: Women with uncontrolled diabetes are more likely to have fertility problems. When insulin resistance is controlled through diet, exercise and in some cases use of diabetes drugs such as metformin fertility tends to improve. For women with diabetes, good blood sugar control improves pregnancy rates and the success rate of pregnancy.

PCOS: Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common causes of infertility and is associated with impaired glucose tolerance and insulin resistance. Many women with PCOS are also diabetic or pre-diabetic.

Irregular periods: Irregular periods can be troublesome when trying to get pregnant. Irregular or abnormal ovulation and menstruation accounts for 30% to 40% of all cases of infertility. Women with irregular periods are often prescribed fertility drugs like Clomid to increase the number of ovulation periods.

Smoking: Women who smoke are 60% more likely to become infertile than nonsmokers.
Smoking can significantly delay the time of conception. It takes them longer time to become pregnant when they try to conceive.

Even you consider IVF procedure; smoking has a devastating effect on a woman’s chance of bearing a baby.

Overweight: Many women who are overweight wonder if this is a factor in their infertility. Today, in America, nearly 50% of women between the ages of 25 and 55 are overweight. The issue that is more common for overweight women is ovulation problems.

STDs: Approximately 65 million people in the United States have an STD. STDs can cause severe damage for a woman’s reproductive organs. Recent studies showed that 38 percent of infertility cases are caused by STDs.

Pelvic inflammatory disease: It is an inflammation of a woman's upper reproductive tract, including the structures of the uterus, ovaries, and fallopian tubes. The relationship between PID and infertility is relatively well accepted. PID causes infertility by the scarring process that occurs during the healing of sexually transmitted infections.

Fallopian tube damage: Damage of fallopian tubes is the most common cause infertility. About 20-25% of infertility cases are due to blocked or damaged fallopian tubes. This is usually caused by either pelvic infection or pelvic endometriosis.

Thyroid disease: Thyroid disease and infertility affects each other condition. Women who have a family history of hypothyroidism need to be extra diligent about getting tested for the presence of the antibodies. This condition can lead to not only infertility, but miscarriage, premature babies, growth issues for the child, and may also contribute to more complications later in the pregnancy.