Fertility Risk Factors You May Not Be Able to Control

While there are many lifestyle factors that can affect fertility, there are also more inherent factors that can play a part in your infertility diagnosis. Read through the following risk factors below to see if any may be contributing to your difficulty in trying to conceive.

Age

While age is not something you can control, it is an important risk factor of infertility. Fertility rates decrease as a woman ages. At age 30, a woman’s likelihood of getting pregnancy naturally is about 20 percent. At age 40, it drops to around 5 percent.

Older women are also more likely to have problems with irregular menstrual cycles, fewer eggs, and decreased quality of eggs. Women over the age of 35 also have a higher risk of miscarriage.

Irregular Periods

Women who have irregular periods, or long or short menstrual cycles, may have problems ovulating, or irregular ovulation, which may make pregnancy more difficult.

Spotting or Bleeding

Women should also consider their history of spotting or bleeding during their menstrual cycle. This may be caused by hormonal problems, uterine fibroids or polyps, cervical problems, or cancer, which can affect women trying to conceive.

Pain During Sex

Pain during sexual intercourse can be caused by disorders that can affect fertility, including endometriosis, pelvic inflammatory disease, uterine fibroids, or tubal disease. If you have pain during sex, it is important to bring this up with your fertility doctor.

Repeated Miscarriage

Having two or more miscarriages places a woman at a slightly higher risk of having another miscarriage. Studies have shown that a woman who has had four miscarriages has a 40 percent chance of having a fifth.

Chronic Medical Conditions

Chronic medical conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, PCOS, thyroid disorders, asthma, kidney disease, and autoimmune disorders can affect fertility. You must also keep in mind that your medication to treat these disorders may also contribute to difficulty trying to conceive.