Infertility & Reproduction Health Center
Fertility Problems - Cause
Infertility has many causes that involve either the woman's, the man's, or both partners' reproductive systems. Some causes include:
- Problems with the man's reproductive system.
- Problems with the woman's fallopian tubes.
- Problems with the woman's uterus and/or cervix.
- Problems with ovulation.
- Uncommon problems such as the man or woman having been exposed before birth to DES, a medicine that was used to prevent miscarriage.
Rates of infertility and miscarriage increase with age. A woman's fertility peaks in her late 20s and gradually begins to decline in her early 30s. A more pronounced drop in fertility and increase in miscarriage risk begins around her mid-30s, primarily due to the aging egg supply. Male fertility also decreases with age, but it is a more gradual decline than in women.
Doctors arbitrarily diagnose infertility when a couple hasn't conceived a child after 12 months of unprotected and regular sex. Impaired fertility may be a better description, though. Many women who keep trying will get pregnant in the second year or later. An infertility diagnosis is concerning, because it can dramatically change the life you've always imagined for yourself. Above all, infertility is a call to take advantage of available fertility testing and treatments that can improve your chances...
Read the Fertility Tests for Women article > >
WebMD Medical Reference from Healthwise
