What is infertility?Most experts define infertility as not being able to get pregnant after at least one year of trying. Women who are able to get pregnant but then have repeat miscarriages are also said to be infertile. Pregnancy is the result of a complex chain of events. In order to get pregnant:
Infertility can result from problems that interfere with any of these steps. About 12 percent of women (7.3 million) in the United States aged 15-44 had difficulty getting pregnant or carrying a baby to term in 2002, according to the National Center for Health Statistics of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Is infertility just a woman's problem?No, infertility is not always a woman's problem. In only about one-third of cases is infertility due to the woman (female factors). In another one third of cases, infertility is due to the man (male factors). The remaining cases are caused by a mixture of male and female factors or by unknown factors. Infertility in men is most often caused by:
Sometimes a man is born with the problems that affect his sperm. Other times problems start later in life due to illness or injury. For example, cystic fibrosis often causes infertility in men. What increases a man's risk of infertility?The number and quality of a man's sperm can be affected by his overall health and lifestyle. Some things that may reduce sperm number and/or quality include:
What causes infertility in women?Problems with ovulation account for most cases of infertility in women. Without ovulation, there are no eggs to be fertilized. Some signs that a woman is not ovulating normally include irregular or absent menstrual periods. Less common causes of fertility problems in women include:
What things increase a woman's risk of infertility?
Current Infertility News09/03/2010New insight into infertility in older women Scientists now are closer to understanding why older women become less fertile, suffer a miscarriage or have a baby with Down's syndrome. This could be ground breaking in infertility treatment in the older women in their late 30s and early 40s. New insight into infertility in older women 09/03/2010 Revealed: why risk of infertility and birth defects rises with age Women who discover they cannot have children after trying to start a family too late have been given new hope by scientists in a major advance in understanding the causes of infertility. Revealed: why risk of infertility and birth defects rises with age 09/02/2010 Female Athletes: Too Fit to Get Pregnant About 12 percent of all infertility cases are women in sports; long-distance runners and ballet dancers are the most vulnerable. Infertility - Sport - Health - Reproductive Health - Pregnancy Female Athletes: Too Fit to Get Pregnant 09/02/2010 Research helps explain infertility in older women Scientists have made a major step towards understanding why older women are more likely to produce abnormal eggs. Research helps explain infertility in older women 09/02/2010 Research helps explain infertility in older women Scientists have made a major step towards understanding why older women are more likely to produce abnormal eggs. Research helps explain infertility in older women 09/03/2010 Clue to birth problems of older women Scientists have a taken major step towards understanding why older women are more likely to produce abnormal eggs, increasing the risk of infertility, miscarriage and birth defects such as Down's syndrome. Clue to birth problems of older women |
