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What is infertility?
How common is infertility?
What causes infertility?
What are common reasons for infertility?
What are the risk factors for infertility?

What is infertility?

Infertility is the inability to conceive after one year of unprotected heterosexual intercourse or the inability to carry a pregnancy to term (40 weeks). Infertility may be caused by male factors, female factors, or a combination of both. A diagnosis of infertility means that becoming pregnant may be a challenge, but is not impossible.

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How common is infertility?

According to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, approximately one in 6.1 million women and their partners—about 10 percent of the reproductive-age population—are affected by infertility in the United States.

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What causes infertility?

Successful full-term pregnancy depends on several factors, including proper fertilization of the egg, implantation of the egg in the uterus, and a woman’s ability to maintain the pregnancy. According to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, approximately one-third of infertility cases are due to a male factor; another one-third is due to a female factor. The remaining one-third is caused by contributing factors from both partners or reasons that cannot be identified, also known as unexplained infertility.

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What are common reasons for infertility?

Common reasons for male infertility include:

• Difficulty producing healthy sperm
• Hormonal imbalance
• Conditions related to general health and lifestyle, such as emotional stress, malnutrition, substance abuse, and overexposure to certain environmental elements

Common reasons for female infertility include:

• Ovulation dysfunction, in which ovulation (the release of an egg from the ovary) does not occur regularly
• Hormonal imbalance
• Reproductive system abnormalities

Other causes of infertility in men and women include:

• Certain medications
• Thyroid problems
• Cancer and cancer-related treatment
• HIV/AIDS
• Kidney disease
• Diabetes

In rare cases, infertility may be caused by a genetic condition, such as cystic fibrosis.

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What are the risk factors for infertility?

Age is the strongest predictor of female fertility:

• A woman’s peak fertility occurs from her late teens through her late 20s.
• Fertility decreases after age 35 for women. Changes in fertility also occur with age in men, but there is no particular age after which a man cannot father a child.
• Older women are more likely to have health problems that may interfere with fertility, such as an increased risk of miscarriage and chromosomal abnormalities that occur in the eggs.

Lifestyle and overall health can also affect fertility:

• Smoking can increase the risk of infertility in women and may reduce sperm production in men.
• Talk to your doctor about alcohol consumption, as it may increase the risk of infertility in both men and women.
• Emotional factors such as depression and stress may affect the hormones that regulate reproduction in men and women.
• Occupational and environmental exposures such as the following may increase the risk of infertility in men and women:
• Chemicals
• Radiation
• Heavy electromagnetic or microwave emissions
• In men, sperm production may be decreased by prolonged exposure to high temperatures, which can occur from using hot tubs or wearing close-fitting underwear that place sperm closer to the body at a higher temperature.
• Being overweight or underweight may be associated with infertility. Women may be at an increased risk if they:
• Have body fat levels that are 10 percent to 15 percent (or more) above normal, as this can increase the levels of estrogen in the body
• Have body fat levels that are 10 percent to 15 percent (or more) below normal, as this can stop the reproductive cycle completely
• Have an eating disorder
• Follow very low-calorie or restrictive diets
• Follow a strict vegetarian diet that lacks one or more important nutrients
• Exercise intensely
• Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) such as gonorrhea, syphilis, or chlamydia can affect male and female reproductive organs.
• Chronic, or long-term conditions, such as the following may affect fertility:
• Diabetes
• Thyroid problems
• Kidney disease

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Information provided here does not constitute professional medical advice. Although it is intended to be accurate, neither Walgreen Co., its subsidiaries or affiliates, nor any other party assumes liability for loss or damage due to reliance on this material. If you have a medical question, consult your medical professional.