Fertility Problems – What Increases Your Risk
The most common misconception today is that infertility is a woman’s problem. However, infertility affects both the male and female involving their reproductive systems. You can control some of the factors that may increase risk of having infertility problems and factors can not be controlled dealing with infertility.
Factors that Cannot Be Controlled
One factor no one can control is age. Infertility rates increase significantly as a woman ages.
- Ages 20 to 24: 7%
- Ages 25 to 29: 9%
- Ages 30 to 35: 15%
- Ages 35-39: 22%
- Ages 40 to 44: 29%
Other non-controllable factors:
- Congenital Birth Defects
- Exposure to DES (diethylstilbestrol) before birth
- Growth of uterine lining (endometrial) cells in other parts of the abdominal cavity, such as in your fallopian tubes, bowels, ovaries)
- Exposure to other environmental toxins, drugs, or radiation (chemotherapy)
- Past infections with STDs (sexually transmitted diseases, i.e., gonorrhea or Chlamydia) which have damaged your reproductive system
Factors that Can Be Controlled
- Tobacco and Marijuana use (reduces male’s sperm count and decrease female fertility)
- Alcohol consumption (2 to 4 drinks daily can cause damage to the male’s sperm and decrease male fertility)
- Frequency and Timing of Sexual-Intercourse
- Frequent ejaculation can lower a male’s sperm count
- Infrequent ejaculation can lower a male’s sperm count
- Healthy dieting and exercise (obesity lowers fertility in men and women)
- Increase of temperature in the male’s scrotum (can damage sperm)
- Past surgical perceedures such as a male vasectomy or a female tubal ligation
- Hormonal imbalance (polycystic ovary syndrome) which gets in the way with ordinary ovulation
