Causes of Female infertility

Female infertility is caused by conditions that affect a woman's ability to have a baby. To get pregnant and deliver a baby, certain conditions must be met.

Common causes of female infertility

Ovulation dysfunction, which reduces the chance of an egg being fertilized, is a common cause of female infertility. Skipped or absent periods can be signs of ovulation problems. Ovulation problems may include:

• Primary ovarian insufficiency (POI) - the ovaries stop functioning before a natural menopause

• Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) - the ovaries do not release a healthy egg or the ovaries don't release an egg regularly. PCOS is a leading cause of female fertility problems because of lack of ovulation

Other infertility problems may include:

• Problems with the uterus
  
• Uterine fibroids (noncancerous growths)
  
• Blocked tubes from endometriosis, surgery, or pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)

Are you at risk of female infertility?

Different risk factors put you at a higher chance of female infertility, including:

• Age (fertility declines after age 35 and dramatically declines after age 40)
  
• Extreme dieting or poor diet
  
• Being overweight or underweight
  
• Cigarette smoking, drugs, and alcohol
  
• High caffeine intake
  
• Health problems and medications
  
• Environmental toxins
  
• Genetic conditions
• Sexually transmitted diseases
  

In most cases, your doctor can do a fertility workup, which will include a physical examination and tests. Then, treatment with medications, surgery or high-tech procedures may help you get pregnant.

Setting the stage for pregnancy

To understand more about female infertility, let's look at how the process works. There are four requirements to get pregnant:

1. A sperm capable of fertilizing an egg (male factor)
   
2. An egg capable of being fertilized (ovulation)
   
3. Open passage to allow the egg and sperm to meet (tuboperitoneal disease)
   
4. A uterus to nurture the developing pregnancy (uterine factors)

Your doctor can evaluate and treat these problems to increase your chances of having a healthy baby.

Some infertility problems are preventable

Some causes of female infertility cannot be changed such as your age, family history, or history of miscarriage. Yet other causes of female infertility are preventable:

Prevent sexually transmitted diseases that can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease. Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) is an infection or inflammation that can permanently scar the reproductive tract (the uterus, ovaries, fallopian tubes) and lead to female infertility. PID, which is most prevalent among women under age 25 who've had more than one sexual partner, is one of the most common illnesses that affect female fertility today. It's also more common in women who've had a prior case of PID or have had STDs.

Other causes of female infertility such as hormonal imbalances with PCOS may not be completely prevented. A bright spot, however, is that newer medications and diet plans are helping many women with PCOS get pregnant and have families.

Some types of female infertility can be surgically treated. Tubal problems and endometriosis are the most common types that can be treated by surgery.

When in doubt, see a fertility specialist

If you suspect you may have a problem getting pregnant, speak with a fertility specialist now. The sooner you identify an issue, the sooner you can undergo treatment and stay on your path to have a baby!

RETURN TO THE TOP